Dictionary

ruthless en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹuːθləs/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *hrewwaną Proto-West Germanic *hreuwan Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Germanic *-ō Proto-West Germanic *-u Proto-West Germanic *hreuwu Old English hrēow Middle English rewe Middle English -the Old Norse hrygðinflu. Middle English reuþe Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les Middle English reuþeles English ruthless From Middle English reuþeles; equivalent to ruth + -less.

Meanings

1. Without pity or compassion; cruel, pitiless.
   • At length their rage the hoſtile Pow’rs reſtrain, / All but the ruthleſs Monarch of the Main. 1725, Homer, translated by Alexander Pope et al., The Odyssey of Homer, volume I, Bernard Lintot, page 10:
2. Uncompromising; unrelenting.
   • Particular note, in this period, should be made of the actions of Joseph Denman, commander of the Northern Division of the Squadron, who went on an absolutely ruthless and systematic campaign along the African coast, burning so-called "slaving factories" to the ground and openly daring anyone who objected to try and stop him. 2018 December 1, Drachinifel, 9:26 from the start, in Anti-Slavery Patrols - The West Africa Squadron, archived from the original on 29 Nov 2024:
   • But the ruthless cleaning up of those streets and merciless treatment of gang members have triggered outrage and concern among human rights organizations, which have condemned Cecot as inhumane and unacceptable. 2024 November 6, David Culver, Abel Alvarado, Evelio Contreras and Rachel Clarke, “Exclusive: Locking eyes with mass murderers in El Salvador”, in CNN:

Forms

Antonyms

ruthful

Relateds

ruthlessly · ruthlessness

Synonyms

incessive · demonic · cruel · rotten · ruthless · savage · diabolical · flagitious · nasty · remorseless · unbenevolent · spiteful · inclement · unbenign · merciless · unsympathetic · pitiless · bowelless · unmerciful · unkind · barbarous · malicious · fell · merciless · compassionless · truculent · compassionless · unpitying · nonhumane · despiteful · diabolic · unpitiful · brutal · inhuman · sadistic · inhumane

Translations (75)

gl desapiadado (without pity or compassion) · hi क्रूर (without pity or compassion) · ka ულმობელი (without pity or compassion) · ca despietat (without pity or compassion) · bg безскру́пулен (without pity or compassion) · ka შეუბრალებელი (without pity or compassion) · ko 무자비하다 (without pity or compassion) · ru безжа́лостный (without pity or compassion) · vi tàn nhẫn (without pity or compassion) · sk bezohľadný (without pity or compassion) · ja 無慈悲な (without pity or compassion) · ota دینسز (without pity or compassion) · ru беспоща́дный (without pity or compassion) · ar قَاسٍ (without pity or compassion) · eo senkompata (without pity or compassion) · la crūdēlis (without pity or compassion) · tr acımasız (without pity or compassion) · hy դաժան (without pity or compassion) · pt impiedoso (without pity or compassion) · el αδίστακτος (without pity or compassion) · fr impitoyable (without pity or compassion) · sv obarmhärtig (without pity or compassion) · be бязлі́тасны (without pity or compassion) · it crudele (without pity or compassion) · es desapiadado (without pity or compassion) · sk nemilosrdný (without pity or compassion) · sv skoningslös (without pity or compassion) · nb hensynsløs (without pity or compassion) · pl bezpardonowy (without pity or compassion) · sh не̏милосрдан (without pity or compassion) · mk немилосрден (without pity or compassion) · hu könyörtelen (without pity or compassion) · cs nemilosrdný (without pity or compassion) · th เหี้ยม (without pity or compassion) · fi armoton (without pity or compassion) · uk безпоща́дний (without pity or compassion) · ro nemilos (without pity or compassion) · da skånselløs (without pity or compassion) · sl trdosrčen (without pity or compassion) · sv hänsynslös (without pity or compassion) · ja 無情な (without pity or compassion) · hy անգութ (without pity or compassion) · kk мейірімсіз (without pity or compassion) · lt negailestingas (without pity or compassion) · oc despietadós (without pity or compassion) · cmn 殘忍 /残忍 (without pity or compassion) · de unbarmherzig (without pity or compassion) · ja 残酷な (without pity or compassion) · nl onbarmhartig (without pity or compassion) · nb ubarmhjertig (without pity or compassion) · bg безми́лостен (without pity or compassion) · de ruchlos (without pity or compassion) · mn харгис хэрцгий (without pity or compassion) · sl neusmiljen (without pity or compassion) · hi निर्दयी (without pity or compassion) · uk безжа́льний (without pity or compassion) · be бязжа́ласлівы (without pity or compassion) · grc ἄνοικτος (without pity or compassion) · cmn 無情 /无情 (without pity or compassion) · cs bezohledný (without pity or compassion) · mi ngākau whakawiri (without pity or compassion) · cjs ачынмас (without pity or compassion) · pl bezwzględny (without pity or compassion) · it spietato (without pity or compassion) · mk безмилосен (without pity or compassion) · nl meedogenloos (without pity or compassion) · es despiadado (without pity or compassion) · da skånselsløs (without pity or compassion) · km គ្មានមេត្តា (without pity or compassion) · ru жесто́кий (without pity or compassion) · uk безжа́лісний (without pity or compassion) · hi निष्ठुर (without pity or compassion) · de gnadenlos (without pity or compassion) · fi säälimätön (without pity or compassion) · eu errukigabe (without pity or compassion)