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
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 funniest movie ever made about the experience of being snubbed for an Oscar nomination, For Your Consideration found Christopher Guest and company moving away from their patented mockumentary format for this hilarious and merciless satire.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
22 Jan. 2025
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But some part of her yearns to be merciless—to make all these women confess.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Related article Japan’s leader demands answers from China over schoolboy’s fatal stabbing The sentiment is rooted in bitter memories of Japan’s invasion and brutal occupation in the 1930s and 1940s and fueled by present-day territorial disputes.—
Chris Lau,
CNN,
24 Jan. 2025
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Many excellent and capable people from rural areas were lost to this brutal movement, leading to a generational impact on China's progress.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The roughest angle to imposter syndrome seems to be a potentially vicious cycle that can ensue.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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Social media lit up with outrage directed toward Jubilee for giving voice to a vicious troll.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
23 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 30 Jan. 2025.
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