CALLOUS Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

callous

adjective

ˈka-ləs

Definition of callous

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of callous Although humanity’s salvation may appear to come in fits and starts, God’s healing influence always penetrates and gets through callous self-righteousness and indifference. — Mark Swinney, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026 Trump’s proponents may argue these definitions are ageing, and precedents have been set in recent years that leave the battlefield a wholly more callous place. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 July 2026 These structures were regionally and culturally inspired, and largely destroyed during rapid and callous colonization. — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 4 July 2026 Watching the movie and Marcel’s fragile belief in a world so callous is to feel a surge of possibility for humanity. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for callous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for callous

Adjective

Once the ruthless commander of Bosnian Serb forces, Mladic oversaw the siege of Sarajevo, mass killings and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre that left more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys dead.

— Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter, like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Adjective

Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.

— Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.

— Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026

Definition of stony

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callous

callously

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“Callous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/callous. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of callous

adjective

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