ENGLISH
REFERENCE

callous

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈkæɫəs// UK //kˈæləs// cal·lous

adj. showing no care or sympathy for the feelings or suffering of other people. You use this to describe someone who is cold and unkind.

adj. exhibiting a cruel disregard for others; insensitive and unsympathetic. Often used to describe individuals in positions of power or specific harmful actions.


SIMPLE

The manager made a callous remark about the staff.

CONTEXTUAL

The company's callous decision to fire the workers right before the holidays sparked a massive public protest.

COMPLEX

His callous indifference to the plight of the refugees was widely condemned by international human rights organizations as a violation of basic moral standards.

Synonyms
Origin

From Latin callōsus (“hard-skinned”), from callum (“hardened skin”) + -ōsus.

Usage

Typically used as an adjective to describe people, attitudes, or actions. It can be used both before a noun or after a linking verb.

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