ruthless

[ rooth-lis ]
See synonyms for: ruthlessruthlesslyruthlessness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. without pity or compassion; cruel; merciless: a ruthless tyrant.

Origin of ruthless

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; ruth + -less

synonym study For ruthless

See cruel.

Other words for ruthless

Other words from ruthless

  • ruth·less·ly, adverb
  • ruth·less·ness, noun

Words Nearby ruthless

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ruthless in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ruthless

ruthless

/ (ˈruːθlɪs) /


adjective
  1. feeling or showing no mercy; hardhearted

Derived forms of ruthless

  • ruthlessly, adverb
  • ruthlessness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012