ruthlessly

R1U1T1H4L1E1S1S1L1Y4
UK, US/ˈɹuːθ.ləs.li/UK, US/ˈɹuːθ.lɪs.li/

adverb

In a ruthless manner; with cruelty; without pity or compassion.

UncommonScrabble 16

Meanings

adverbruthlessly (comparative more ruthlessly, superlative most ruthlessly)

comparative more ruthlessly · superlative most ruthlessly

  1. In a ruthless manner; with cruelty; without pity or compassion.

    Standing on the mountain above Caerphilly, one may reflect upon the gap where once stood Llanbradach Viaduct, and look near at hand upon the restored ruins of Caerphilly Castle; man labours to rebuild the mediaeval whilst he ruthlessly scraps the modern.

    1939 September, D. S. Barrie, “The Railways of South Wales”, in Railway Magazine, page 165
    1 more example

    Southgate's side kept their nerve and discipline in the unsettling, intimidating surroundings of Budapest, with the behaviour of Hungary's fans leaving much to be desired, to turn up the heat and punish their opponents ruthlessly once they had gone ahead.

    2021 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Hungary 0-4 England”, in BBC

    Synonyms: cruelly, pitilessly

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbIn a ruthless manner; with cruelty; without pity or compassion.

Also see

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*hrewwaną
  2. Proto-West Germanic*hreuwan
  3. Proto-West Germanic*hreuwu
  4. Old Englishhrēow
  5. Middle Englishrewe
  6. Old Norsehrygðinflu.
  7. Middle Englishreuþe
  8. Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
  10. Proto-Germanic*leusaną
  11. Proto-Germanic*lausaz
  12. Middle Englishreuþeles
  13. Englishruthless
  14. Englishruthlessly

From ruthless + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan despietadament, sense pietat
  • despietadamentin a ruthless manner
  • sense pietatin a ruthless manner
Chinese Mandarin 殘忍地 /残忍地, 無情地 /无情地
  • 殘忍地 /残忍地 (cánrěn de)in a ruthless manner
  • 無情地 /无情地 (wúqíng de)in a ruthless manner
  • 殘酷地 /残酷地 (cánkù de)in a ruthless manner
Estonian halastamatult, armutult
  • halastamatultin a ruthless manner
  • armutultin a ruthless manner
  • julmaltin a ruthless manner
Finnish armottomasti
  • armottomastiin a ruthless manner
French impitoyablement, sans foi ni loi
  • impitoyablementin a ruthless manner
  • sans foi ni loiin a ruthless manner
  • cruellementin a ruthless manner
  • sadiquementin a ruthless manner
  • inhumainementin a ruthless manner
  • tenacementin a ruthless manner
German ruchlos, rücksichtslos
  • ruchlosin a ruthless manner
  • rücksichtslosin a ruthless manner
  • unbarmherzigin a ruthless manner
  • unerbittlichin a ruthless manner
Hindi क्रूरतापूर्वक
  • क्रूरतापूर्वक (krūrtāpūrvak)in a ruthless manner
Italian crudelmente, sadicamente
  • crudelmentein a ruthless manner
  • sadicamentein a ruthless manner
  • senza pietàin a ruthless manner
  • spietatamentein a ruthless manner
Polish bezwzględnie, niemiłosiernie
  • bezwzględniein a ruthless manner
  • niemiłosierniein a ruthless manner
  • bezpardonowoin a ruthless manner
Russian беспоща́дно, безжа́лостно
  • беспоща́дно (bespoščádno)in a ruthless manner
  • безжа́лостно (bezžálostno)in a ruthless manner
  • немилосе́рдно (nemilosérdno)in a ruthless manner
  • неумоли́мо (neumolímo)in a ruthless manner
  • беспардо́нно (bespardónno)in a ruthless manner
Spanish despiadamente, cruelmente
  • despiadamentein a ruthless manner
  • cruelmentein a ruthless manner
  • sádicamentein a ruthless manner
  • inhumanamentein a ruthless manner

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

ruthlessly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ruthlessly

MLA

“ruthlessly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ruthlessly. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ruthlessly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ruthlessly.

Source: ruthlessly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.