ruthless

adjective

ˈrüth-ləs How to pronounce ruthless (audio)
Definition of ruthlessnext
as in merciless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings an office supervisor with a ruthless disregard for others' feelings

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ruthless The design process became a ruthless triage, with aesthetics and elegance of movement being delayed over and over again in favor of brutal functionality. — IEEE Spectrum, 19 Oct. 2026 The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 Facinelli plays the Boss, a ruthless figure whose cash ends up in the pool hustler’s hands, and intends to get it back, one way or another. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 Such ruthless prioritization produced some admirable results. — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthless
  1. merciless
  2. stony
Adjective
  • It would be seen as a work of merciless autofiction in the vein of Karl Ove Knausgaard, and it would be discussed, as his books are, as aggressive, antisocial, and spiteful.
    — B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In the story, Ria teams up with her foster mother and their fellow punks to resist a merciless developer intent on tearing down their building.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of merciless
Adjective
  • Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.
    — Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
  • Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.
    — Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
Definition of stony

Browse Nearby Words

ruthful
ruthless
ruthlessly
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Cite this Entry

“Ruthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruthless. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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