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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartless
Being cautious, verifying offers and keeping your data secure are the best ways to avoid falling victim to these heartless fraudsters.
—
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 11 Nov. 2024
Second, because management wasn’t heartless enough to break the roster up just to chase marginal improvements.
—Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 5 July 2024
The latter two are quickly put off by the aggressive, greedy, and heartless nature in which the men want to move forward in regard to the ranch's doomed future.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 25 Nov. 2024
Wilson plays Maitlis as a tough but certainly not heartless interviewer, showing the conflicts the trusted journalist encounters.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heartless 
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 11 Nov. 2024
Second, because management wasn’t heartless enough to break the roster up just to chase marginal improvements.
—Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 5 July 2024
The latter two are quickly put off by the aggressive, greedy, and heartless nature in which the men want to move forward in regard to the ranch's doomed future.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 25 Nov. 2024
Wilson plays Maitlis as a tough but certainly not heartless interviewer, showing the conflicts the trusted journalist encounters.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heartless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartless
Adjective
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The lawyer who normally practices in New York is gregarious, quick with a joke and always happy to talk to the media, but can be ruthless in cross-examination.—
Andrew Dalton,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Jan. 2025
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City are going through some stuff, Arsenal aren’t ruthless enough, Chelsea are wobbling, teams will figure out how to beat Nottingham Forest soon enough, Newcastle are the form team now but are an Alexander Isak injury away from trouble.—
Carl Anka,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And having more thoughtful conversations doesn’t preclude the need sometimes to confront those who are needlessly cruel or organizations that benefit from such exploitation.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
18 Jan. 2025
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In recent months, the Justice Department and the state filed thousands of pages of new records in the lawsuit, including reports and sworn statements from pediatricians, scholars and others who describe Florida’s policies as archaic and cruel.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The community that had long been home to hundreds of entertainment industry workers was engulfed by a wildfire whipped into a merciless inferno by 80-mile an hour winds.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
13 Jan. 2025
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Scarcity of food and clean water have become merciless tormentors, and the numbers tell a story that words cannot fully convey.—
Daphne Ewing-Chow,
Forbes,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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After decades of conflict with Beijing over discrimination and suppression of their cultural identity, the Chinese government launched a brutal crackdown on the Uyghurs that some Western governments deem a genocide.—
Dake Kang and Huizhong Wu,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2025
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The elites got out of positions quickly, while retail investors were left twiddling their thumbs and absorbing brutal losses.—
Trent Hoerr,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Several fast-growing wildfires fueled by a vicious Southern California wind storm are devastating communities across the Los Angeles region, with homes being burned to the ground and tens of thousands of people evacuating to safety.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA TODAY,
10 Jan. 2025
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That’s when Evans, in a full sprint, blindsided Lattimore with a vicious hit in the back and knocked him to the ground.—
Rick Stroud,
Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 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
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Cite this Entry
“Heartless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartless. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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