Word of the Day
: April 2, 2010ruthless
play
adjective
ROOTH-lus
What It Means
: having no pity : merciless, cruel
ruthless in Context
Even the most sociable and gentle of house cats remain, at heart, ruthless predators.
Did You Know?
"Ruthless" can be defined as "without ruth" or "having no ruth." So what, then, is ruth? The noun "ruth," which is now considerably less common than "ruthless," means "compassion for the misery of another," "sorrow for one's own faults," or "remorse." And, just as it is possible for one to be without ruth, it is also possible to be full of ruth. The antonym of "ruthless" is "ruthful," meaning "full of ruth" or "tender." "Ruthful" can also mean "full of sorrow" or "causing sorrow." "Ruth" can be traced back to the Middle English noun "ruthe," itself from "ruen," meaning "to rue" or "to feel regret, remorse, or sorrow."
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Merriam-Webster unabridged