Synonyms of callous
38 similar words
Another word for callous is callused. Other synonyms of callous are heartless, insensitive, brutal, cold and insensate.
Synonyms and similar words for callous
adjectiveEmotionally hardened; unfeeling and indifferent to the suffering/feelings of others.
- heartlessWithout feeling, emotion, or concern for others; uncaring; cruel.
- insensitiveNot expressing normal emotional feelings; cold; tactless; undiplomatic.
- brutalHarsh; unrelenting.
- coldWithout compassion; heartless; ruthless.
- insensate formalUnfeeling, heartless, cruel, insensitive.
- hardhanded
- cold-eyedThat looks coldly or dispassionately; having a fierce or aloof mein.
- cruelHarsh; severe.
- dour
- thick-skinnedInsensitive to the feelings of others; callous.
- flint-heartedSynonym of hardhearted.
- forbiddingAppearing to be threatening, unfriendly or potentially unpleasant.
- frostyHaving an aloof or inhospitable manner.
- grimDismal and gloomy, cold and forbidding.
- hardSevere, harsh, unfriendly, brutal.
- hard-boiledOf a person, especially a detective, callous and unsentimental.
- hardenedUnfeeling; pitiless; callous.
- hardheartedLacking in compassion; cold and pitiless.
- harshSevere or cruel.
- humorlessLacking humor or levity; serious; not funny, amusing, amused, or lighthearted.
- icyCharacterized by coldness of manner; frigid; cold.
- iron-heartedSynonym of hardhearted.
- marble-heartedEmotionally cold, cruel, and unfeeling.
- rigorous
- rockheartedSynonym of hardhearted.
- severeStrict or harsh.
- stern
- stoneheartedSynonym of hardhearted.
- stonyOf a person, lacking warmth and emotion.
- stonyheartedCruel, compassionless, discompassionate, as if having a heart made of stone.
- strictSevere in discipline.
- toughStrict, not lenient.
- unsympatheticNot sympathetic; ill-disposed.
- unmovedNot sympathetic; uncaring.
Meaning of callous
- adjective Emotionally hardened; unfeeling and indifferent to the suffering/feelings of others.
- adjective Having calluses, or relating to calluses.
callous in other languages
Questions about synonyms of callous
- What is another word for callous?
- Callous has 38 synonyms on Word.ws, such as callused, heartless, insensitive, brutal, cold, insensate, hardhanded and cold-eyed.
- What does callous mean?
- Callous means emotionally hardened; unfeeling and indifferent to the suffering/feelings of others.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: callous (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of callous.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/callous. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.