as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
the callous comment "It's just a fish," when the boy's pet died, made him cry
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Recent Examples of callous
The wealthy, somewhat callous protagonist (Washington here, Toshiro Mifune back in ‘63) initially balks at paying the ransom money and wiping out his business to save his friend’s son’s life.
—
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
These selfish, harmful and callous actions undermine public safety and will not be tolerated.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Thompson's slaying sparked waves of callous praise online immediately after the shooting.
—Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2025
These selfish, harmful, and callous actions undermine public safety and will not be tolerated.
—Jesus Mesa
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for callous
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
These selfish, harmful and callous actions undermine public safety and will not be tolerated.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Thompson's slaying sparked waves of callous praise online immediately after the shooting.
—Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2025
These selfish, harmful, and callous actions undermine public safety and will not be tolerated.
—Jesus Mesa
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for callous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for callous
Adjective
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Tracey recalls how her ruthless daughter sought revenge on her father, classmates and Laura.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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In the epic Emperor Kisra (Kingsley) has a reputation for being utterly ruthless.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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If Hollow Knight was demanding, Silksong is merciless.—
Keller Gordon,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
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In 1918, Bolshevik secret police forced Anastasia Romanov and her imperial family into a damp basement to face a merciless firing squad.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Callous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/callous. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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