different between ruthful vs ruthless

English

Etymology

From Middle English reuþful, reuthful, reowthful, equivalent to ruth +? -ful.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /??u??.f?l/

Adjective

ruthful (comparative more ruthful, superlative most ruthful)

1. Full of sorrow; sorrowful; woeful; rueful.
2. Causing pity; piteous.
   • c. 1588-1593, William Shakespeare, The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus, Act 5, Scene 1,

     An if it please thee! why, assure thee, Lucius, / 'Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak; / For I must talk of murders, rapes, and massacres, / Acts of black night, abominable deeds, / Complots of mischief, treason, villainies, / Ruthful to hear, yet piteously perform'd:
3. Full of ruth or pity; merciful; compassionate.
   • 1898, Richard Francis Burton (translator), The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 7,

     Then he bestowed robes of honour on the nurses wet and dry and said to them, "Be ye ruthful over them and rear them after the goodliest fashion."

Usage notes

• (causing pity): Unlike the other senses, which describe the person acting or the motivation behind an act, this sense is used to describe the effect of an action or circumstance. Thus, it is easily confused with the complementary term ruthless: a ruthless person (one lacking pity) may perform acts or bring about circumstances which are ruthful (cause or induce feelings of pity).

Synonyms

• (full of ruth): compassionate, merciful

Antonyms

• (full of ruth): ruthless

Derived terms

• ruthfully
• ruthfulness

Related terms

• ruth

Translations

Anagrams

• hurtful

English

Etymology

From Middle English reuþeles; equivalent to ruth +? -less.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??u??l?s/

Adjective

ruthless (comparative more ruthless, superlative most ruthless)

1. Without pity or compassion; cruel, pitiless.

   Antonym: ruthful

   • 1725, Alexander Pope et al. (translators), Homer (author), The Odyssey of Homer, Volume I, Bernard Lintot, page 10:

     At length their rage the ho?tile Pow’rs re?train, / All but the ruthle?s Monarch of the Main.

Related terms

• ruthlessness

Translations

Anagrams

• Selhurst, hurtless, hustlers, sluthers