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
Related Words
See hard.
Other Word Forms
- callously adverb
- callousness noun
- uncallous adjective
- uncallously adverb
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
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.
He added: "Grieving families will be furious that someone in such a senior position even thought of saying something so callous and offensive."
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
“The victims of the suspect Central officers took into custody will be impacted by his callous acts for a very long time,” Muniz said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
After their failure, Tessa is reprogrammed to be cold and callous, trained to finish the job at any cost, even if it means destroying the love between her and Thia.
From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026
The late French queen is best known for her supposedly callous, clueless, privileged suggestion that if the peasants couldn’t get enough bread, they should eat cake instead.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 2, 2026
Bigwig shuddered, partly at Chervil’s tone of callous indifference and partly at his own memories.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
