adjective

ruthless

ruthless, merciless, cruel

The ruthless dictator oppressed his people.

The ruthless dictator oppressed his people.

She has a ruthless ambition to succeed.

She has a ruthless ambition to succeed.

a ruthless ((noun)) showing no pity or compassion to others He is a ruthless businessman.

Synonyms: merciless, cruel, heartless; Antonyms: merciful, compassionate

From the old word 'ruth' (pity, compassion) + '-less' (without). It literally means 'without pity'.

Think 'truth-less'. Someone who is ruthless might not care about the truth or fairness, only their goal.

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