Synonyms of stony

stony

adjective

ˈstō-nē 

variants also stoney

as in ruthless

having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings

the judge's stony demeanor didn't raise the defendant's hopes for a more lenient sentence

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ruthless
• merciless
• hard
• harsh
• obdurate
• pitiless
• stern
• grim
• oppressive
• indurate
• tough
• insensate
• callous
• soulless
• unfeeling
• brutal
• abusive
• remorseless
• cruel
• inhuman
• unsympathetic
• hateful
• affectless
• heartless
• insensitive
• compassionless
• unmerciful
• malicious
• vicious
• thick-skinned
• hard-hearted
• uncharitable
• unsparing
• severe
• inhumane
• pachydermatous
• take-no-prisoners
• savage
• rough
• hard-boiled
• case-hardened
• slash-and-burn
• cold-blooded
• desensitized
• ironhearted
• stonyhearted
• unfriendly
• ungentle
• heedless
• unthinking
• mean
• thoughtless
• uncaring
• boorish
• inconsiderate
• unloving
• cold
• disagreeable
• spiteful
• surly
• virulent
• malevolent
• barbarous
• rough-and-tumble
• acrimonious
• austere
• brutish
• rancorous
• sledgehammer
• jackbooted
• frosty
• ironfisted
• bestial
• ill-natured
• hard-bitten
• heavy-handed
• ironhanded
• ill-tempered
• evil-minded
• knock-down, drag-out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• warm
• sensitive
• sympathetic
• gentle
• charitable
• mild
• humane
• kind
• merciful
• kindly
• compassionate
• tender
• benevolent
• friendly
• lenient
• cordial
• indulgent
• kindhearted
• gracious
• benignant
• softhearted
• tenderhearted
• warmhearted
• tolerant
• clement
• affectionate
• loving
• good-natured
• understanding
• fond
• good-tempered

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stony

In a vast stony tract of desert a three-hour drive south of Cairo, tucked between jagged black mountains and the glittering Gulf of Suez, a group of Chinese engineers is quietly rewiring Egypt’s energy strategy. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026

Hikers can traverse the stony beds of Cliffy Creek and snap photos of the park's four iconic waterfalls. — Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026

But his landscape paintings of the stony canyons and craggy cliffs that define this part of the country seem to be everywhere these days. — Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026

High Street began to slope upward, and the terrain became stonier around the sides of the road as Revere and his horse, Brown Beauty, ascended Rock Hill. — Kostya Kennedy, Time, 16 Feb. 2026