callous
Americanadjective
-
made hard; hardened.
- Synonyms:
- hard
- Antonyms:
- soft
-
insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic.
They have a callous attitude toward the sufferings of others.
- Synonyms:
- obtuse, insensible
- Antonyms:
- sensitive
-
having a callus; indurated, as parts of the skin exposed to friction.
verb (used with or without object)
adjective
-
unfeeling; insensitive
-
(of skin) hardened and thickened
verb
Synonym Usage
See hard.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of callous
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English from Latin callōsus “hard-skinned, tough,” equivalent to call(um) “tough skin, any hard substance” + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
A callous person is insensitive or emotionally hardened. If you laugh at your little sister while she's trying to show you her poetry, you're being callous. Callous comes from the Latin root callum for hard skin. If you walk barefoot a lot, your feet will become calloused. We often use callous, as an adjective or a verb, in the metaphorical sense for emotionally hardened. If someone is unmoved by other people's problems, you might say he shows a callous indifference to human suffering or that his heart has been calloused by his own problems.
Vocabulary lists containing callous
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Callous as that sounded, the rationale merely meant that football is inherently dangerous for all players on any play of every game.
From New York Times • Dec. 18, 2019
Callous ads, particularly those dressed up as safety warnings, are a recipe for a PR disaster.
From Inc • Nov. 12, 2012
Alan Ravenhill, promoter for Kade Callous, the wrestler who lives in Cardiff, said Opik was "pretty hurt."
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2012
Opik, who lost his Montgomeryshire seat in the 2010 general election, contested a bout against professional fighter Kade Callous, in Welshpool.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2012
Callous and unappreciative characters have abused such hospitality, and construed it as a mark of ignorance on the part of the Boer.
From In the Shadow of Death by Kritzinger, P. H.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
