callous

[ kal-uhs ]
See synonyms for callous on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. made hard; hardened.

  2. insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic: They have a callous attitude toward the sufferings of others.

  1. having a callus; indurated, as parts of the skin exposed to friction.

verb (used with or without object)
  1. to make or become hard or callous.

Origin of callous

1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English from Latin callōsus “hard-skinned, tough,” equivalent to call(um) “tough skin, any hard substance” + -ōsus -ous

synonym study For callous

2. See hard.

Other words for callous

Opposites for callous

Other words from callous

  • cal·lous·ly, adverb
  • cal·lous·ness, noun
  • un·cal·lous, adjective
  • un·cal·lous·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with callous

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

British Dictionary definitions for callous

callous

/ (ˈkæləs) /


adjective
  1. unfeeling; insensitive

  2. (of skin) hardened and thickened

verb
  1. pathol to make or become callous

Origin of callous

1
C16: from Latin callōsus; see callus

Derived forms of callous

  • callously, adverb
  • callousness, 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