ruthless

adjective

USROOTH-lis/ˈɹuθləs/

2 meanings of ruthless

1
crueladjective
Cruel and showing no pity for other people.
The ruthless king threw anyone who disagreed with him into prison.
The villain in the movie is a ruthless killer.
Similarmerciless, pitiless, cruel, heartless, brutal
Oppositemerciful, compassionate, kind, humane
Note
2
uncompromisingadjective
Never stopping or giving way in doing something, no matter what.
He was ruthless about cleaning out his closet and threw away half his clothes.
The new manager made ruthless cuts to the budget.
Similarrelentless, unsparing, remorseless, unrelenting
Note

Practice

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Origin

From ruth, meaning "pity", and the ending -less.