callous

adjective
UK: /ˈkæləs/
US: /ˈkæləs/

  1. Emotionally hardened; showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.

    1. He is a callous man, not capable of human emotion.
    2. The callous indifference of some people to the suffering of others is shocking.

  2. Made hard; toughened.

    1. Years of hard labor made his hands callous.
    2. The skin on his feet became callous from walking barefoot on rough ground all day.

Synonyms

cruel unfeeling indifferent insensitive heartless
callous verb

  1. To make or become hardened or insensitive.

    1. His experiences in the war calloused him.
    2. Repeated exposure to violence can callous a person's feelings over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "callous" in English means: Emotionally hardened; showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others., Made hard; toughened..

The phonetic transcription of "callous" is /ˈkæləs/ in British English and /ˈkæləs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "callous": cruel, unfeeling, indifferent, insensitive, heartless.

Example usage of "callous": "He is a callous man, not capable of human emotion.". More examples on the page.