ruthless
gb/ɹˈuθləs/ us/ɹˈuθləs/
B2
English
kegyetlen, kíméletlen, gátlástalan
B2
1
kegyetlen
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is ruthless (to/with [someone])
The prisoners were subjected to ruthless punishment.
A foglyokat kegyetlen büntetésnek vetették alá.
The film portrays a ruthless gang leader who kills without hesitation.
A film egy kegyetlen bandavezért ábrázol, aki habozás nélkül öl.
Her ruthless treatment of employees shocked the whole team.
Learner examples
The dictator was ruthless.
A diktátor kegyetlen volt.
He made a ruthless choice.
Kegyetlen döntést hozott.
Common mistake:
Do not use for 'careless' or 'messy'; it means 'without mercy'.
Meaning
cruel and without mercy
Collocations
ruthless killer
|ruthless dictator
|ruthless regime
|ruthless attack
|ruthless violence
|ruthless cruelty
|ruthless punishment
|ruthless treatment
|ruthless behavior
|ruthless decision
Synonyms
merciless (Very close; emphasizes lack of mercy.)
|
pitiless (Stresses no pity for suffering.)
|
heartless (Focuses on lack of feeling or empathy.)
Antonyms
merciful (Shows mercy instead of cruelty.)
|
compassionate (Cares about others’ suffering.)
|
kind (Acts gently and helpfully.)
Themes
emotions
|violence
|crime
|society
Definition
Very cruel and not feeling sorry for others.
Showing no pity or mercy; willing to cause pain or suffering without feeling sorry.
C1
2
kíméletlen
B2
gátlástalan
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is ruthless (in [field]) / ruthless about [goal]
In a ruthless industry like this, people will replace you quickly.
Egy ilyen kíméletlen iparágban gyorsan lecserélik az embert.
She built her empire through ruthless tactics and intimidation.
Birodalmát gátlástalan taktikákkal és megfélemlítéssel építette fel.
The candidate ran a ruthless campaign that destroyed his opponents’ reputations.
Learner examples
He is ruthless in business.
Gátlástalan az üzleti életben.
She used ruthless tactics to win.
Gátlástalan taktikákat alkalmazott, hogy győzzön.
Common mistake:
Not the same as 'strict' or 'serious'; it implies harming others or ignoring their needs.
Meaning
willing to harm others to win
Collocations
ruthless competitor
|ruthless tactics
|ruthless ambition
|ruthless pursuit of power
|ruthless strategy
|ruthless campaign
|ruthless negotiator
|ruthless drive
|ruthless focus
|ruthless takeover
Synonyms
cutthroat (Often used for business competition; informal and vivid.)
|
unscrupulous (Emphasizes lack of moral principles.)
|
hard-nosed (Less about cruelty; more about tough practicality.)
Antonyms
fair (Competes without cheating or harming others.)
|
ethical (Follows moral rules while pursuing goals.)
|
considerate (Cares about how actions affect others.)
Themes
business
|work
|competition
|politics
Definition
Wanting to succeed so much that you do not care if others suffer.
Determined to achieve a goal and prepared to use harsh or unfair methods, without caring who is hurt.
C1
3
kíméletlen
B2
Usage pattern:
ruthless [criticism/editing/honesty/review]
The editor was ruthless, cutting half the chapter.
A szerkesztő kíméletlen volt: a fejezet felét kihúzta.
His ruthless honesty made the meeting uncomfortable, but it clarified the problem.
Kíméletlen őszintesége kellemetlenné tette a megbeszélést, de tisztázta a problémát.
They conducted a ruthless review of the budget and removed every unnecessary expense.
Learner examples
The teacher gave ruthless feedback.
A tanár kíméletlen visszajelzést adott.
I did ruthless editing of my essay.
Kíméletlenül átszerkesztettem a fogalmazásomat.
Common mistake:
This sense is common with things like 'editing' or 'review' and does not always mean physical cruelty.
Meaning
severe and unsparing in criticism
Collocations
ruthless editing
|ruthless honesty
|ruthless critique
|ruthless review
|ruthless assessment
|ruthless audit
|ruthless pruning
|ruthless filtering
|ruthless feedback
|ruthless fact-checking
Synonyms
unsparing (Close in meaning; emphasizes not holding back.)
|
harsh (General term; can be less intentional than 'ruthless'.)
|
relentless (Emphasizes continuing without stopping.)
Antonyms
gentle (Criticizes or changes things softly.)
|
lenient (Not strict in judgment or standards.)
|
tactful (Tries not to offend when speaking honestly.)
Themes
communication
|work
|education
|writing
Definition
Very direct and severe, without being gentle.
Extremely strict or thorough, especially in criticizing, judging, or removing what is not good enough, without trying to be gentle.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ruthless
IPA
GB/ɹˈuθləs/
US/ɹˈuθləs/
Syllables & stress
ruth - less (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ruth)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: ruthless
Expressions
ruthless ambition
1/ɹˈuθləs æmbˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
ambition that ignores others’ harm
A very strong wish to succeed, even if it hurts others.
Examples
- His ruthless ambition pushed him to betray his closest allies.
- Ruthless ambition can be admired in movies, but it causes real damage in workplaces.
- They blamed her ruthless ambition for the toxic culture on the team.
Learner examples
- He has ruthless ambition.
ruthless competition
1/ɹˈuθləs kˌɑmpətˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
very harsh, uncaring competition
Competition that is very hard and not fair or kind.
Examples
- Small shops struggled to survive in the face of ruthless competition.
- Ruthless competition drives prices down, but it can also drive workers out.
- The app market is famous for ruthless competition and fast copycats.
Learner examples
- There is ruthless competition here.
ruthless cost-cutting
1/ɹˈuθləs kˈɔst kˈʌtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
business
aggressive cutting of expenses
Cutting costs in a very harsh way.
Examples
- Ruthless cost-cutting led to layoffs across the company.
- The hospital’s ruthless cost-cutting reduced waiting times in some areas but damaged patient care in others.
- After the merger, ruthless cost-cutting measures were announced immediately.
Learner examples
- They started ruthless cost-cutting.
ruthless efficiency
1/ɹˈuθləs ɪfˈɪʃənsi/
fixed phrase
business
efficiency achieved by harsh cuts
Being efficient in a very hard, uncaring way.
Examples
- The new manager introduced ruthless efficiency, cutting meetings and staff overnight.
- The company’s ruthless efficiency improved profits but hurt morale.
- With ruthless efficiency, she reorganized the team in a single week.
Learner examples
- The company values ruthless efficiency.
ruthless honesty
1/ɹˈuθləs ˈɑnɪsti/
fixed phrase
very direct, possibly hurtful honesty
Telling the truth in a very direct, harsh way.
Examples
- She prides herself on ruthless honesty, but her comments often sound cruel.
- Ruthless honesty can help a team improve, if it comes with respect.
- He answered with ruthless honesty and admitted he didn’t trust the plan.
Learner examples
- He spoke with ruthless honesty.