pitiless
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
See cruel.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pitiless
First recorded in 1375–1425, pitiless is from the late Middle English word piteles. See pity, -less
Explanation
Pitiless means "without mercy" or "cruel." Movie critics are often described as pitiless, because if they hate a film, they don't hold back or consider the feelings of the people who poured their hearts into making it. The root word of the adjective pitiless is pity. If someone lacks all sympathy or tenderness, you can describe them as pitiless. People who are annoyed that they have to step out of the way of homeless people who huddle against buildings in winter are probably pitiless — they just don't care about the plights of others. How can you tell if your friends are pitiless? They seem bored or annoyed when you are upset about something.
Vocabulary lists containing pitiless
Negative Words to Describe a Person
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Commonly Confused Words, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Before Standard Oil became “the most gigantic, the most cruel, impudent, pitiless, and grasping monopoly which ever fastened upon a community,” it was a start-up.
From Barron's • May 2, 2026
Australian Jews are on the front lines in a pitiless war.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025
It’s the destination, not the journey because, again, creating art is a pitiless process that will grind you down.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2025
Deceiving ourselves that way is foolish; using that lie to string along our loved ones is pitiless.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2023
None of the latter's children had looked so much like him, not even Aureliano José, particularly in respect to the prominent cheekbones and the firm and rather pitiless line of the lips.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
