ruthful

adjective

Definition of ruthfulnext
1
as in troublesome

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2
as in pitying

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthful
  1. troublesome
  2. lenient
  3. poignant
  4. merciful
  5. moving
  6. tolerant
  7. doleful
  8. congenial
Adjective
  • The heating oil situation is particularly troublesome here for low-to-moderate residents who rely on the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program to keep warm.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Some oil tankers have made their way through the strait, but LNG tankers are a more troublesome target, according to Robin Mills, a non-resident fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and CEO of Qamar Energy.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of troublesome
Adjective
  • The same day, Cornell issued a second statement, welcoming the prosecutor’s announcement and pushing back on claims of lenient discipline.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Supporters of Proposition 132 say lenient criminal penalties are among the reasons.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of lenient
Adjective
  • As a piece of theater, the dialogue between the two men often lands on the heart like a wry, platonic romance — and the moments in which both take a stand against the bigotry of some of Seastone’s callers are suddenly and acutely poignant.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Riley was a direct inspiration on the record, and while the Bay Area composer did work with drones, his influence is more poignant here, in the way Schwendener breaks the melody down into pieces and moves them around.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of poignant
Adjective
  • Soon, an Angels’ season filled with firings, turmoil and loss after loss after loss will come to its merciful conclusion.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • God did not punish him intensely, but only from time to time and in a merciful way.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of merciful
Adjective
  • Perhaps the most moving moment of Don’t Look Back in Anger arrives early with the first of the reunion concerts in Cardiff, Wales.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Most moving, above all, are the correspondences with the writers themselves who reach out at their own expense—quite literally.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of moving
Adjective
  • And once established, it’s known to be deeply drought-tolerant.
    — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • If there is enough soil between the roots, shade-tolerant groundcovers may also work.
    — Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of tolerant
Adjective
  • Langley’s voice, which is emotive but steady, seems unusually well suited to this sort of doleful yearning.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Measles is the canary in the coal mine for vaccination and public health, and at this moment, the canary is singing a doleful tune.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of doleful
Adjective
  • And while people are pressed close together, the mood of the train is largely congenial.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Meaning, connecting deeply with the audience to the point of a congenial fracture of time and space.
    — Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 1 July 2026
Definition of congenial
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

ruth
ruthful
ruthless
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Cite this Entry

“Ruthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruthful. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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