Ruthless: meaning, definitions and examples

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ruthless

 

[ ˈruθləs ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

behavior

Having or showing no pity or compassion for others.

Synonyms

cruel, heartless, merciless, pitiless

Examples of usage

  • He was ruthless in his pursuit of power.
  • The ruthless dictator showed no mercy to his enemies.
  • She had a reputation for being ruthless in business negotiations.
Context #2 | Adjective

manner

Without pity or compassion; harsh, severe.

Synonyms

harsh, relentless, severe, unyielding

Examples of usage

  • The ruthless winter storm left the town buried in snow.
  • The ruthless conditions of the prison made life unbearable for the inmates.

Translations

Translations of the word "ruthless" in other languages:

🇵🇹 impiedoso

🇮🇳 निर्दयी

🇩🇪 rücksichtslos

🇮🇩 tanpa ampun

🇺🇦 безжалісний

🇵🇱 bezlitosny

🇯🇵 無慈悲な (むじひな)

🇫🇷 impitoyable

🇪🇸 despiadado

🇹🇷 acımasız

🇰🇷 무자비한

🇸🇦 قاسي

🇨🇿 nemilosrdný

🇸🇰 nemilosrdný

🇨🇳 无情的 (wúqíng de)

🇸🇮 neusmiljen

🇮🇸 miskunnarlaus

🇰🇿 аяусыз

🇬🇪 უმოწყალო

🇦🇿 amansız

🇲🇽 despiadado

Etymology

The word 'ruthless' originated from the combination of 'ruth' (compassion, pity) and the suffix '-less' (without). The concept of lacking compassion or pity can be traced back to Old English and has evolved over time to its current usage in modern English. The word has been used to describe individuals, actions, or conditions that demonstrate a lack of mercy or compassion.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #11,988, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.