Word · CEFR C1 · Frequency #7587
ruthless
/ˈruːθləs/
adjective
无情的，残忍的
having or showing no pity or compassion
- 1.
Without pity or compassion; cruel, pitiless.
无情的；残酷的；无怜悯的
- 2.
without mercy or pity
无情或无怜悯的
- 3.
Uncompromising; unrelenting.
不妥协的；不屈不挠的
毫不留情的，坚决的；无情的；残酷的；无怜悯的；无情或无怜悯的；不妥协的；不屈不挠的；无情的
In use
The ruthless businessman fired half his staff without notice.
She was ruthless in her pursuit of perfection, often criticizing minor mistakes.
The dictator's ruthless crackdown on protests drew international condemnation.
an act of ruthless ferocity
be ruthless in doing sth
表示在某个行动或过程中表现无情。
The manager was ruthless in cutting costs.
经理在削减成本时毫不留情。
be ruthless toward sb
强调对待某人的冷酷态度。
The dictator was ruthless toward his opponents.
那位独裁者对他的对手残忍无情。
Connections
Collocations
- ruthless killer
- 残忍的杀手
- The film follows a ruthless killer who leaves no witnesses.这部电影讲述了一个残忍的杀手，他不留任何目击者。
- ruthless dictator
- 残暴的独裁者
- The country suffered under a ruthless dictator for decades.这个国家在一位残暴的独裁者统治下遭受了几十年的苦难。
- ruthless competitor
- 无情的竞争对手
- In business, she is known as a ruthless competitor who stops at nothing.在商界，她以无情的竞争对手而闻名，会不择手段。
- ruthless efficiency
- 高效而冷酷
- The army advanced with ruthless efficiency, capturing the city in days.军队以高效而冷酷的方式推进，几天内就占领了该市。
- ruthless ambition
- 冷酷的野心
- His ruthless ambition drove him to betray his closest friends.他冷酷的野心驱使他背叛了最亲密的朋友。
Learner notes
Memory Tip
想象一个冷酷的人毫无怜悯，就像名字Ruth被去掉了一样——ruːθ（同情）+ less（没有）→ 无情的。
Context & Register
语域：混合。常见于文学、正式演讲及日常批评，用于描述人的残酷无情或行为的坚决。通常带负面评价。
Pronunciation & Spelling
All listed words share the suffix '-less' and are perfect rhymes with 'ruthless', as they have the same /-ləs/ ending and primary stress on the first syllable.
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 2，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, OCTANOVE, WIKTIONARY.