A Word A Day : Callous




Tuesday, 9th October 2007 : Today's Word is ...

Callous



( Adjective )


Pronunciation : kál-less

1. Showing no concern that other people are or might be hurt or upset

2. Emotionally hardened

3. Deficient in human sensibility


Etymology:


14th century. Directly or via French - Latin callosus "hardened by friction" - callus "hard skin

Note:callous or callus? Do not confuse the spelling of callous and callus, which sound similar. Callous is an adjective meaning "insensitive or unfeeling," as in a callous remark. Callus is a noun that usually denotes a patch of thickened skin on the hand or foot.

Synonyms:


Heartless, Unfeeling, Uncaring, Insensitive, Unsympathetic, Cold, Cruel, Pitiless, Hard, Thick-Skinned, Cold-Hearted, Hardhearted


Antonyms:


Warm-hearted, Lovable


Contextual Examples:




• But, indeed, from what I saw, all these buccaneers were as callous as the sea they sailed on.

Callous as they were to my suffering, they were equally callous to their own when anything befell them.

Related Words:


1. Callously : Adverb

2. Callousness : Noun

Enjoy this list and then get around for preparing your own list of words. There is no better way of boosting your words power. The most effective way to build your vocabulary is described in the page on Word Power. Educational research has discovered that your I.Q. is intimately related to your Word Power. Take a standard Vocabulary test and then an intelligent test, the result in both will be substantially the same. The more extensive your vocabulary, the better your chances of success, other things being equal- success in attaining your educational goals, success in moving ahead in your business or professional career, success in achieving your intellectual potential.



Previous Word|Next Word



Go to The A Word A Day Index


From Callous to HOME PAGE