WordGarden.ioruthless
C1Pronunciation
UK
- /rˈuːθləs/
US
- /ˈruθləs/
Meanings
Adjective
willing to be cruel or cause harm to get a result
extremely severe, unsparing, or uncompromising
Beyond the definition
A ruthless person or action shows no pity or mercy. It is not just about being mean. It describes someone who is so focused on winning, gaining power, or reaching a goal that they do not care who gets hurt along the way. A ruthless business owner might cut jobs without hesitation to make more money, and a ruthless competitor might break others down just to win.
The word literally means "without ruth," and ruth is an old word for pity or sorrow for someone else's pain. You would not use it for a harmless joke or a minor act of meanness. You would use it for someone who coldly and deliberately hurts, uses, or pushes aside other people to get what they want.
Ruthless describes a lack of compassion, pity, or concern for others. It goes beyond simply being unkind. The word suggests a deliberate willingness to ignore other people's feelings, needs, or suffering in order to reach a goal. A ruthless person is often shown as someone who keeps pushing forward, even when other people are harmed by what they do.
You might encounter "ruthless" when describing powerful figures: a dictator who crushes opposition, or a CEO who cares only about profit and not about the workers affected by their decisions. But it also appears in smaller everyday situations. A negotiator can be called ruthless if they pressure the other side without mercy, and a team or player can be called ruthless if they keep attacking weaknesses and show no mercy at all. The key idea is the intentional lack of pity.
The origin of "ruthless" is useful to know. It combines the old English word "ruth," meaning pity or compassion, with the suffix "-less." Over time, it came to describe a person or action marked by the absence of pity. It is not just about being harsh; a ruthless act often feels calculated, cold, and purposeful.
Consider the story of Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. His pursuit of the white whale is not simply anger. It becomes a ruthless obsession that consumes him and puts his entire crew in danger. Or think of a leader in business or politics who keeps chasing victory while ignoring the human cost. In lighter, more figurative use, people may even speak of "ruthless efficiency" when someone cuts out everything unnecessary to get a result fast.
So, while "cruel" often focuses on causing pain, "ruthless" highlights the mindset behind the action: a hard, unwavering determination that puts results first, no matter the cost to others. It is a strong word. It suggests not only hardness, but also a willingness to go forward without pity, hesitation, or moral concern.
Examples
- 1
Military leadership
The general was a ruthless leader who punished even small mistakes.
- 2
Business negotiation
In business, she's known as a ruthless negotiator.
- 3
Sports attack
The team won because their attack was fast, organized, and ruthless.
- 4
Cost cutting
After sales dropped, the company became ruthless about cutting costs.
- Patternbe ruthless about + task
deal with it very strictly, without exceptions
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Essay editing
When you edit your essay, be ruthless and delete anything that doesn't support your main point.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Do not confuse
Used with (collocations)
- ruthless efficiency
- ruthless ambition
- ruthless dictator
- ruthless competition
Word family
Explore
- callousness
- Machiavellian
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- ruthlessadjective