callous

  • 1Callous — Cal lous, a. [L. callosus callous hard, fr. callum, callus, callous skin: cf. F. calleux.] 1. Hardened; indurated. A callous hand. Goldsmith. A callous ulcer. Dunglison. [1913 Webster] 2. Hardened in mind; insensible; unfeeling; unsusceptible.… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2callous — [kal′əs] adj. [ME < L callosus < callum, hard skin] 1. a) having calluses b) thick and hardened: usually calloused 2. lacking pity, mercy, etc.; unfeeling vt., vi. to make or become callous n …

    English World dictionary

  • 3callous — I adjective adamant, adamantine, brutal, callosus, cold, cold of heart, cold blooded, coldhearted, durus, hard, hard of heart, hardened, hardhearted, heartless, impassive, impenetrable, impenitent, imperturbable, impervious, implacable, inclement …

    Law dictionary

  • 4callous — (adj.) c.1400, hardened, in the physical sense, from L. callosus thick skinned, from callus, callum hard skin (see CALLUS (Cf. callus)). The figurative sense of unfeeling appeared in English by 1670s …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5callous — *hardened, indurated Analogous words: tough, tenacious, stout, *strong: *firm, solid, hard: *inflexible, adamant, obdurate, inexorable: insensitive, impassible, *insensible, anesthetic Antonyms: tender …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 6callous — [adj] cruel, insensitive apathetic, blind to, careless, case hardened, cold, cold blooded, deaf to, hard, hard bitten, hard boiled, hardened, hardhearted, heartless, impassive, impenitent, indifferent, indurated, inflexible, insensate, insensible …

    New thesaurus

  • 7callous — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ insensitive and cruel. ► NOUN variant spelling of CALLUS(Cf. ↑callused). DERIVATIVES callously adverb callousness noun. ORIGIN Latin callosus hard skinned …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8callous — I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin callosus, from callum, callus callous skin Date: 15th century 1. a. being hardened and thickened b. having calluses < callous hands > 2. a. feeling no emotion b. feeli …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 9callous — adj. 1) callous to (callous to suffering) 2) callous to + int. (it was callous of him to say that) …

    Combinatory dictionary

  • 10callous — cal|lous [ˈkæləs] adj [Date: 1300 1400; : Old French; Origin: calleux, from Latin callosus, from callus; CALLUS] not caring that other people are suffering ▪ We were shocked at the callous disregard for human life. ▪ a callous attitude ▪ the&#8230; …

    Dictionary of contemporary English