CALLOUSLY Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

callously

adverb

as in heartlessly

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Recent Examples of callously Along with that oh-so-sweet commercial success came rounds of discourse that callously dissected her racial identity, her relationship with her Blackness, and the winding history of genre in the context of American music. — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2026 While Boeing callously deflects blame for their negligence, a family of one victim finds strength in gathering collective mourning. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 But seeing the process consciously and callously attempted from the inside will give new fuel to those skeptical of social-media platforms and may even sway a few of the last undecideds to boot. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 The biggest fear for people who want to see books preserved through the training process is that AI firms will callously pulp rare books that can never be replaced. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026 Conventional wisdom callously had it that audiences might never return, especially after the pandemic in 2020 was followed in short order in 2023 by two prolonged industrywide strikes. — Adam Aron, Variety, 29 July 2026 The department was known to operate callously, firing people by email or locking them out of buildings. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 The heartbroken mother of a 15-year-old boy who was beaten and fatally shot inside a Queens park as dozens of teens callously filmed the slaying on their phones condemned his killer — and those who did nothing but watch him die. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2026 Marley’s level of fame and influence meant that, after his death at 36, his legacy, his spirit, his brand was to be shaped by a record industry that could be callously indifferent to truth or quality at the expense of revenue. — Eric Harvey, Pitchfork, 18 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for callously

Adverb

Victim Nyron Shaw’s father said the driver who mowed his son down last year in Ocean Hill a day before Independence Day should face the maximum penalty for allegedly driving twice the speed limit and heartlessly taking off, leaving his son to die.

— Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
In the process, Joel heartlessly killed some innocent people, including medical professionals.

— EW.com, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Definition of heartlessly

Adverb

The garment industry is ruthlessly competitive and manufacturers fear that any rise in costs or supply disruption could see orders shift to rival Vietnam, Cambodia, or Pakistan.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Theorists such as Nick Bostrom have long warned that an advanced model might inflict immense harm by taking a human prompt too literally and pursuing its goal too ruthlessly.

— NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruthlessly

Adverb

But there were more hilarious moments, the biggest being Tkachuk's full-on heel turn when the team showed a tribute video that got mercilessly booed by the crowd.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
This is no small feat in a city where working class locals are priced out mercilessly to make way for the ultra-wealthy here to work on their winter tans.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of mercilessly

Adverb

Residents were treated carelessly, disrespectfully, insensitively.

— Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
In this volatile environment, comments that appear to minimize or frame the shooting insensitively—like Matt Gutman's—can quickly become career-ending.

— Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025

Definition of insensitively

Adverb

Walter’s ties to immigrant detention resulted in protests from members of the Los Angeles community, including many Dodgers fans, who felt that ICE inhumanely targeted them.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
In May 2025, the zoo posted a video of authorities taking a giraffe and accused them of seizing it inhumanely.

— Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 22 June 2026

Definition of inhumanely

Adverb

But his voice tyrannically resounds with sadistic orders and conservative cultural commentary during the second-act flashback scene, in which a fateful day on the set of the show changes the lives of Ronika and Blair.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Gulliver’s third voyage takes him to the flying island of Laputa, which rules tyrannically over several territories situated below.

— Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of tyrannically

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“Callously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/callously. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of callously

adverb

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