ruthless
Cruel and showing no pity at all.
ruthless in a sentence
- The ruthless pirate captain left his own crew stranded on the island.
- The ruthless queen in the tale showed no pity and sent away anyone who dropped a crumb.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to ruthless?
- Acruel
- Bkind
- Cgentle
- Dcaring
Show the answer
A: cruel. The other three mean the opposite of ruthless.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to ruthless?
- Aharsh
- Bcruel
- Ckind
- Dheartless
Show the answer
C: kind. The other three mean nearly the same as ruthless.
Words that mean something similar
cruel, heartless, harsh
Words that mean the opposite
kind, gentle, caring
More words about character & personality
- savage: Wild and violent.
- sincere: Truly meaning what you say or feel, without pretending.
- sinister: Seeming evil or threatening, as if something bad is about to happen.
- sly: Clever at tricking people in a sneaky way.
- smug: Too pleased with yourself in a way that annoys other people.
- sober: Serious and calm, not silly or playful.
- sprightly: Lively and full of energy, especially for someone old.
- staunch: Very loyal and firm in your support.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test