ruthlessly
/ˈɹuːθ.ləs.li/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.90 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adv
In a ruthless manner; with cruelty; without pity or compassion.
Example Sentences
- "Standing on the mountain above Caerphilly, one may reflect upon the gap where once stood Llanbradach Viaduct, and look near at hand upon the restored ruins of Caerphilly Castle; man labours to rebuild the mediaeval whilst he ruthlessly scraps the modern."
- "Southgate's side kept their nerve and discipline in the unsettling, intimidating surroundings of Budapest, with the behaviour of Hungary's fans leaving much to be desired, to turn up the heat and punish their opponents ruthlessly once they had gone ahead."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *hrewwaną Proto-West Germanic *hreuwan Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Germanic *-ō Proto-West Germanic *-u Proto-West Germanic *hreuwu Old English hrēow Middle English rewe Middle English -the Old Norse hrygðinflu. Middle English reuþe Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les Middle English reuþeles English ruthless Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English ruthlessly From ruthless + -ly.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɹuːθ.ləs.li/
- British English: /ˈɹuːθ.ləs.li/
Inflected Forms
more ruthlessly (comparative)
most ruthlessly (superlative)