callous

adjective
cal·​lous | \ ˈka-ləs How to pronounce callous (audio) \

Definition of callous

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : being hardened and thickened
b : having calluses callous hands
2a : feeling no emotion
b : feeling or showing no sympathy for others : hard-hearted a callous indifference to suffering

callous

verb
cal·​lous | \ ˈka-ləs How to pronounce callous (audio) \
calloused; callousing; callouses

Definition of callous (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to make callous hands calloused by hard manual labor

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Other Words from callous

Adjective

callously adverb
callousness noun

Did You Know?

Adjective

A callus is a hard, thickened area of skin that develops usually from friction or irritation over time. Such a hardened area often leaves one less sensitive to the touch, so it's no surprise that the adjective callous, in addition to describing skin that is hard and thick, can also be used as a synonym for "harsh" or "insensitive." Both callus and callous derive via Middle English from Latin. The figurative sense of callous entered English almost 300 years after the literal sense, and Robert Louis Stevenson used it aptly when he wrote, in Treasure Island, "But, indeed, from what I saw, all these buccaneers were as callous as the sea they sailed on."

Examples of callous in a Sentence

Adjective

… under Orton's own companionable charm there was something hard and callous, the result no doubt of a loveless upbringing … — Benedict Nightingale, New York Times Book Review, 10 May 1987 … the scenes involving the snotty, callous dean ring false right from the start … — Pauline Kael, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 1985 Patient, cold and callous, our hands wrapped in socks, we waited to snowball the cats. — Dylan Thomas, "A Child's Christmas in Wales," in Quite Early One Morning1954 a selfish and callous young man a callous refusal to help the poor
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

For many Americans who do support the Second Amendment but nonetheless want to see more gun control and hope mass shootings will cease, the clinical petition and the arguments Remington Arms is making will likely seem callous. Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "A gunmaker wants the US Supreme Court to affirm its immunity from lawsuits," 8 Aug. 2019 The chats revealed discriminatory attitudes — including homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, xenophobia and fat-shaming — and a callous indifference for the people of Puerto Rico, including the thousands who died after Hurricane Maria. NBC News, "For Puerto Rico's LGBTQ community, fight doesn't end with Rosselló," 26 July 2019 These shadow tactics show a callous disregard for every person who is unable to get immunized, such as newborn infants, people who are pregnant, and those who are immune-compromised. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Measles cases hit 1,001 as anti-vaxxers hold another rally of disinformation," 6 June 2019 Doctors also described Smith as callous, uncaring, manipulative and without empathy. Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, "Man who raped and killed Florida girl, 8, draws death sentence," 2 Oct. 2018 Mean spirited and callous, just like his former boss. Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "TML: How do pro athletes feel about playing in small-market Cincinnati?," 20 June 2018 And, of course, nothing about the history of trade relations between America and Europe justifies the president’s callous indifference to the latter’s interests in Iran, or humanity’s interest in the preservation of the Paris climate accords. Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump America Isn’t Going to the G7 to Make Friends (or Keep Them)," 7 June 2018 The court finds this crime was horrific, callous, calculated and totally outweighs any testimony about a chaotic childhood. Heather Nolan, NOLA.com, "Life sentence for teen who stabbed 15-year-old 49 times wasn't unconstitutional: appeals court," 25 May 2018 Women's lives are on the line, and this latest policy is a crystal clear sign of the Trump administration's callous disregard for them. Lauren Rankin, Allure, "What Trump's "Domestic Gag Rule" Would Mean for Reproductive Health Care," 18 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

His beard was rough, and his hands were cracked and calloused. Peter Talbot, The Seattle Times, "Solo rower takes epic, 336-day journey across Pacific from Washington to Australia," 14 June 2019 His beard was rough, and his hands were cracked and calloused. Peter Talbot, The Seattle Times, "Solo rower takes epic, 336-day journey across Pacific from Washington to Australia," 14 June 2019 His beard was rough, and his hands were cracked and calloused. Peter Talbot, The Seattle Times, "Solo rower takes epic, 336-day journey across Pacific from Washington to Australia," 14 June 2019 His beard was rough, and his hands were cracked and calloused. Peter Talbot, The Seattle Times, "Solo rower takes epic, 336-day journey across Pacific from Washington to Australia," 14 June 2019 His beard was rough, and his hands were cracked and calloused. Peter Talbot, The Seattle Times, "Solo rower takes epic, 336-day journey across Pacific from Washington to Australia," 14 June 2019 His beard was rough, and his hands were cracked and calloused. oregonlive.com, "Epic journey takes solo rower across Pacific from Washington to Australia," 13 June 2019 Years as a welder have left his hands calloused, nearly immune to burns. Hilary Cadigan, Bon Appetit, "The Unmistakable Bryan Furman, Georgia’s New King of Barbecue," 25 June 2018 Hard, calloused fingers move up and down the neck, connecting chords and filling the park with music. David Montero, latimes.com, "In a small park named for the national anthem's author, a homeless musician provides the soundtrack," 14 June 2018

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