callous
Use Callous in a sentence
əs adjective
1.
made hard; hardened.
2.
insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic: They have a callous attitude toward the sufferings of others.
3.
having a callus; indurated, as parts of the skin exposed to friction.
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
4.
to make or become hard or callous.
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin callōsus hard-skinned, tough, equivalent to call(um) tough skin, any hard substance + -ōsus -ous
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin callōsus hard-skinned, tough, equivalent to call(um) tough skin, any hard substance + -ōsus -ous
Related forms
cal·lous·ly, adverb
cal·lous·ness, noun
un·cal·lous, adjective
un·cal·lous·ly, adverb
un·cal·lous·ness, noun
Antonyms
1. soft. 2. sensitive.
1. soft. 2. sensitive.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To callous
00:10
Callous
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
callous (ˈkæləs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | unfeeling; insensitive |
| 2. | (of skin) hardened and thickened |
| —vb | |
| 3. | pathol to make or become callous |
| [C16: from Latin callōsus; see | |
| 'callously | |
| —adv | |
| 'callousness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
callous
c.1400, "hardened," in the physical sense, from L. callosus "thick-skinned," from callus, callum "hard skin" (see callus). The figurative sense of "unfeeling" appeared in English by 1670s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
callous cal·lous (kāl'əs)
adj.
Of, relating to, or characteristic of a callus or callosity.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
callous
in dermatology, small area of thickened skin, caused by continued friction, pressure, or other physical or chemical irritants. In response to mild but repeated injury, the cells of the epidermis, the outermost horny layer of the skin, become more active, giving rise to a localized increase in horny tissue on the surface of the skin. Calluses are most frequently seen on the hands and feet. They are usually yellowish white, flat, and painless. When a callus is conical in shape, penetrating into the deeper layer of the skin and causing pain when pressed, it is called a corn
Learn more about callous with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
We shouldn't relax our standards, but we shouldn't be unnecessarily callous, either.
But they were not callous about the fate of the dead, as is claimed by some of the victims' families.
People's response to our separateness can be callous, can be good-hearted, and is always condescending.
Other misadventures include demoralizing casting calls, conniving friends and a string of callous boyfriends.
Matching Quote
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
