callous

[ kal-uhs ]
/ ˈkæl əs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR callous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

made hard; hardened.
insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic: They have a callous attitude toward the sufferings of others.
having a callus; indurated, as parts of the skin exposed to friction.

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become hard or callous.

Origin of callous

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin callōsus hard-skinned, tough, equivalent to call(um) tough skin, any hard substance + -ōsus -ous

SYNONYMS FOR callous

1 hard.
2 inured, insensible, obtuse. See hard.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR callous ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM callous

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH callous

callous callus

Words nearby callous

callosal, callosal gyrus, callose, callosity, callot, callous, callow, calloway, callus, calm, calmative

Words related to callous

insensitive, unsympathetic, heartless, careless, cold-blooded, indifferent, apathetic, uncaring, hardened, unbending, indurated, inured, cold, hard, hard-boiled, hardhearted, impassive, impenitent, inflexible, insensate

Example sentences from the Web for callous

British Dictionary definitions for callous

callous
/ (ˈkæləs) /

adjective

unfeeling; insensitive
(of skin) hardened and thickened

verb

pathol to make or become callous

Derived forms of callous

callously, adverb callousness, noun

Word Origin for callous

C16: from Latin callōsus; see callus

Medical definitions for callous

callous
[ kăl′əs ]

adj.

Of, relating to, or characteristic of a callus or callosity.