1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a heartless boss who would fire people for missing work, even if they were sick as a dog
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cruel
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
his heartless whipping of runaway slaves virtually to the point of death shocked even other slave owners
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of heartless
Cardellini is the essence of warmth and smarts, and Campbell Scott offers a commanding cameo as a snooty but not heartless food critic.
—
Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2025
Yanking the rug out from under thousands of foreigners who often risked life and limb to find a safe haven in America is an unconscionable act of heartless, anti-humanitarian gall on the part of Donald Trump and his minions.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 9 June 2025
Though mean-spirited, the jester Rigoletto — Verdi’s hapless, vengeful hunchback — wins our hearts as the outsider whom a heartless world so often abuses.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
The heartless Chevy driver ran Cifuni over, dragging her the wrong way down a one-way street before crashing into two other vehicles and then running off.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2025
Yanking the rug out from under thousands of foreigners who often risked life and limb to find a safe haven in America is an unconscionable act of heartless, anti-humanitarian gall on the part of Donald Trump and his minions.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 9 June 2025
Though mean-spirited, the jester Rigoletto — Verdi’s hapless, vengeful hunchback — wins our hearts as the outsider whom a heartless world so often abuses.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
The heartless Chevy driver ran Cifuni over, dragging her the wrong way down a one-way street before crashing into two other vehicles and then running off.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartless
Adjective
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The role of Chris Partlow, Marlo Stanfield's top lieutenant and ruthless hitman, was the first screen credit for Gbenga Akinnagbe.—
Derek Lawrence,
EW.com,
29 July 2025
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The initial plan was to use the Indigenous Taino population to work the fields, but this population was quickly decimated by genocidal conquest, ruthless working conditions as well as novel diseases brought by the Europeans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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In an inordinately cowardly and cruel act, Rubio stayed away from the department that day, ignoring the men and women whose careers and life plans were decimated by his flippant decision-making.—
Lynn Northcutt Vega,
Sun Sentinel,
29 July 2025
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A little more than a year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a decision from the Ninth Circuit that determined a ban on people sleeping in public was constitutionally cruel and unusual.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Private equity moving into professional sports conjures the same fears of merciless efficiency in an industry driven by sentimentality, but Arougheti brushes off the concerns, arguing that institutional capital will increase profitability and allow owners to invest more in their teams.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
21 July 2025
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Beyond the numbers is the human toll of Trump’s merciless campaign.—
South Florida Sun Sentinel,
Sun Sentinel,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Southerners quickly learn how to survive brutal summer temperatures.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
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Mortensen not only survived the brutal massacre, but is also the only eyewitness to have seen Kohberger at the scene of the crime.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Not to mention, antibiotics aren’t always effective at killing drug-resistant bugs, and each UTI leaves you more susceptible to future infections, creating a vicious cycle.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
1 Aug. 2025
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Coming less than a year after the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the same neighborhood, which was widely regarded as an assassination motivated by contempt for the American health insurance industry, LePatner’s death prompted a similarly vicious response on social media.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Heartless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartless. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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