ruth·less

(ro͞oth′lĭs)

adj.

Having no compassion or pity; merciless: ruthless cruelty; ruthless opportunism.

ruth′less·ly adv.

ruth′less·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ruthless

(ˈruːθlɪs)

adj

feeling or showing no mercy; hardhearted

ˈruthlessly adv

ˈruthlessness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ruth•less

(ˈruθ lɪs)

adj.

without pity or compassion; cruel; merciless.

[1300–50; see ruth, -less]

ruth′less•ly, adv.

ruth′less•ness, n.

ruth, ruthless, ruthful - Ruth, meaning "compassion, pity," is part of ruthless and ruthful.

ruthless

adjective merciless, hard, severe, fierce, harsh, cruel, savage, brutal, stern, relentless, adamant, ferocious, callous, heartless, unrelenting, inhuman, inexorable, remorseless, barbarous, pitiless, unfeeling, hard-hearted, without pity, unmerciful, unpitying a ruthless totalitarian power
kind, sparing, gentle, forgiving, pitying, humane, compassionate, lenient, merciful

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

ruthless

adjective

Lacking scruples or principles:

conscienceless, unconscionable, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous.

Translations

بِدون شَفَقَهقاسٍ

bezohlednýnemilosrdný

hensynsløsskånselsløs

unbarmherzig rabiat ruchlos rücksichtslos

αδίστακτος

despiadado implacable

armoton

impitoyable sans pitié

bezobziran

miskunnarlaus

spietato

無慈悲な

잔인한

nežēlīgs

meedogenloos

hensynsløs ubarmhjertig

bezlitosny

implacável

безжалостный

neusmiljen

hänsynslös

ไร้ความเมตตาปราณี

acımasız

nhẫn tâm

冷酷的无情的

ruthless

[ˈruːθlɪs] ADJ [person, act] → despiadado, cruel; [efficiency, determination] → inquebrantable, implacable; [opponent, enemy] → implacable

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ruthless

[ˈruːθləs] adj

[person] → sans pitié, impitoyable

[determination, efficiency, exploitation] → impitoyable

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

ruthless

adj person, deed → rücksichtslos; cuts, treatment, self-analysis → schonungslos; irony, sarcasm → unbarmherzig, schonungslos; you’ll have to be ruthless → man muss hart sein; to be ruthless in doing something → etw ohne jede Rücksicht tun

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ruthless

[ˈruːθlɪs] adj → spietato/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

ruthless

(ˈruːθlis) adjective

without pity. a ruthless attack; a ruthless tyrant.

ˈruthlessly adverb

ˈruthlessness noun

ruthless

→ قاسٍ nemilosrdný skånselsløs rücksichtslos αδίστακτος despiadado armoton sans pitié bezobziran spietato 無慈悲な 잔인한 meedogenloos hensynsløs bezlitosny implacável безжалостный hänsynslös ไร้ความเมตตาปราณี acımasız nhẫn tâm 无情的

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

In the procession I should feel the crushing feet, the clashing discords, the ruthless hands and stifling breath.

View in context

``Amongst the ruins of the church The midnight raven found a perch, A melancholy place; The ruthless Conqueror cast down, Woe worth the deed, that little town, To lengthen out his chase.''

View in context

Astute and ruthless, he could have rivalled in resource the unfortunate son of Laertes and Anticlea.

View in context

In war, he is daring, boastful, cunning, ruthless, self-denying, and self-devoted; in peace, just, generous, hospitable, revengeful, superstitious, modest, and commonly chaste.

View in context

He was eternally a pilgrim, haunted by a divine nostalgia, and the demon within him was ruthless. There are men whose desire for truth is so great that to attain it they will shatter the very foundation of their world.

View in context

When Leda had lain with the dark-clouded Son of Cronos, she bare them beneath the peak of the great hill Taygetus, -- children who are delivers of men on earth and of swift-going ships when stormy gales rage over the ruthless sea.

View in context

If we go by mere facts then the subject is Falk's attempt to get married; in which the narrator of the tale finds himself unexpectedly involved both on its ruthless and its delicate side.

View in context

The response was unani- mous and in thunder-tones--"NO!" "Will you succor and protect him as a brother-man--a resident of the old Bay State?" "YES!" shouted the whole mass, with an energy so startling, that the ruthless tyrants south of Mason and Dixon's line might almost have heard the mighty burst of feeling, and recognized it as the pledge of an invincible determination, on the part of those who gave it, never to betray him that wanders, but to hide the outcast, and firmly to abide the consequences.

View in context

Because there were two boats in his wake, and he supposed, no doubt, that they would of course come up to Pip very quickly, and pick him up; though, indeed, such considerations towards oarsmen jeopardized through their own timidity, is not always manifested by the hunters in all similar instances; and such instances not unfrequently occur; almost invariably in the fishery, a coward, so called, is marked with the same ruthless detestation peculiar to military navies and armies.

View in context

THIS advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

View in context

Richard, recognizing the voice of his favorite uncle, struggled to free himself, but De Vac's ruthless hand crushed out the weak efforts of the babe, and all was quiet as the tomb, while those above stood listening for a repetition of the sound.

View in context

Leave here, if you will, in safety, and mind your own affairs; but if you show one particle of curiosity as to mine, if you interfere in matters which concern me and me only, remember that you are encircled by powers which are entirely ruthless, absolutely omnipotent.

View in context