# ruthless

Pronunciation: US say "ROOTH-lis" /ˈɹuθləs/; UK

## Adjective

1. Having or showing no pity or compassion; cruel.
   - Simple: Cruel and showing no pity for other people.
   - _The protesters faced a ruthless dictator who crushed every sign of dissent._
   - _She plays a ruthless gang boss who shows her rivals no mercy at all._
2. Refusing to compromise or let up; unrelenting.
   - Simple: Never stopping or giving way in doing something, no matter what.
   - _The editor's ruthless pruning cut the manuscript by a third._
   - _The team played with ruthless efficiency, scoring three goals in ten minutes._

## Origin

From Middle English reuþeles, equivalent to ruth + -less.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/ruthless (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).