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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartless
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
Letscher, so unlike his character, played the baddie so well: cold, calculated, and heartless.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Such a bird’s eye view of existence, however, can lead to extremely problematic lines of thought that are heartless at best, and actively eugenicist at worst.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartless
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
Letscher, so unlike his character, played the baddie so well: cold, calculated, and heartless.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Such a bird’s eye view of existence, however, can lead to extremely problematic lines of thought that are heartless at best, and actively eugenicist at worst.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartless
Adjective
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As a member of a crew that robs banks, Mr. Blonde is the most ruthless.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
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President Donald Trump has mounted a ruthless onslaught on the checks and balances established in the Constitution.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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Politics remains a cruel business and the governor has been on the frontline of it for nearly 20 years, winning and losing.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
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They were joined by actors playing the contestants, who lurched along wearing expressions of exaggerated horror, as though the cruel stakes of the game had just been revealed to them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Frank Trapper / Contributor/Corbis Entertainment Lydia is a high-ranking and merciless executive at Madrigal Electromotive who helps supply Walt's meth operation.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
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While Charlie Brown played things safe, Snoopy lived an exuberant life in his imagination, casting himself as a frustrated novelist, gleeful dancer, merciless attorney and even a prolific flying ace in a World War I Sopwith Camel.—
Chris Carra,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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The mini tubs are portable, mess-free, and endlessly useful, especially on long flights where dry cabin air can be brutal.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
11 July 2025
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The Eastern Conference is wide open after the brutal injuries to both Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton during the playoffs, and now the Knicks are saddled with the expectations of excellence.—
Tom Rende,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Stanton, demonstrating that there’s still plenty of power in his vicious swing, sent the pitch 401 feet the other way at 106.1 mph.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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The author presents a vicious takedown of George Washington.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
9 July 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 18 Jul. 2025.
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