Word
ruthlessly
Phoneticsruth·less·ly
US/ˈɹuθɫəsɫi/
UK/ɹˈuːθləsli/
Definition
adv. to do something in a very cruel or unfair way, without showing any mercy. You use this when someone is very strict or harsh about getting what they want.
adv. in a manner that is cruel, merciless, or without compassion. Often describes the pursuit of a goal with extreme determination and a lack of regard for the consequences.
Examples
“The company ruthlessly cut costs to stay in business.”
“The dictator ruthlessly suppressed any opposition to his rule, ensuring that no one could challenge his power.”
“The market ruthlessly eliminates inefficient producers, leaving only those who can adapt to the most stringent cost-cutting measures to survive the downturn.”
Examples
simple
“The company ruthlessly cut costs to stay in business.”
contextual
“The dictator ruthlessly suppressed any opposition to his rule, ensuring that no one could challenge his power.”
complex
“The market ruthlessly eliminates inefficient producers, leaving only those who can adapt to the most stringent cost-cutting measures to survive the downturn.”
Real-World Examples
“Then we started getting nominated [for the award] and found ourselves in the orbit of switched-on, ruthlessly ambitious, twentysomethings.” “A lot of our relationship is him ruthlessly pranking me and teasing me and it all comes from a place of love.” Etymology
From ruthless + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/ruthlessly