callous
[ kal-uhs ]
/ ˈkæl əs /
adjective
made hard; hardened.
insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic: They have a callous attitude toward the sufferings of others.
having a callus; indurated, as parts of the skin exposed to friction.
verb (used with or without object)
to make or become hard or callous.
RELATED WORDS
consolidate, nerve, set, buttress, thicken, strengthen, stiffen, freeze, amalgamate, reinforce, fortify, close, toughen, petrify, jell, compact, bake, fix, callous, acclimatize
Nearby words
Origin of callous
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin callōsus hard-skinned, tough, equivalent to call(um) tough skin, any hard substance + -ōsus -ous
SYNONYMS FOR callous
1 hard.
Related forms
Can be confused
callous callusDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for callouses
British Dictionary definitions for callouses
callous
/ (ˈkæləs) /
adjective
unfeeling; insensitive
(of skin) hardened and thickened
verb
pathol to make or become callous
Derived Forms
callously, adverbcallousness, nounWord Origin for callous
C16: from Latin callōsus; see callus
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medicine definitions for callouses
callous
[ kăl′əs ]
adj.
Of, relating to, or characteristic of a callus or callosity.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.