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If someone can be ruthless, can one also be ruthful?
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."
Synonyms of ruthless
Examples of ruthless in a Sentence
Adam B. Vary, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
Unbeknownst to the group, the trip is a front for a criminal operation led by the ruthless Burns (Banderas).
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
However, ruthless bounty hunter Leo Bonhart has already murdered the gang.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
This was Notre Dame football at its ruthless best.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Cite this Entry
“Ruthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruthless. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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