callousness
callousness — noun
1. the quality of treating other people in a deliberately unkind way, showing that
the quality of treating other people in a deliberately unkind way, showing that you do not care at all about their feelings or the pain they are going through
The landlord's callousness toward the homeless family shocked everyone in the building.
callousness toward [someone]
Anjali could not understand the callousness of people who laughed at the old man's accident.
The company's callousness in firing workers just before the holidays was widely condemned.
Years in the emergency room had not reduced Dr. Okafor's concern — she still hated callousness in her team.
Otis wrote an article about the callousness of a system that leaves sick children without treatment.
- cruelty
emphasises active enjoyment of causing pain, while callousness is more about cold indifference
- ruthlessness
focuses on willingness to do anything to achieve a goal, while callousness is about emotional detachment
- coldness
suggests emotional distance without the harsh edge of callousness
- indifference
is weaker — simply not caring, without active unkindness
- compassion
the active concern for others' suffering
- kindness
warm and caring treatment of others
用法筆記
Frequently used with prepositions 'toward', 'in', or 'of' to specify the target or context of the unkind behaviour.
常見錯誤
callousness — adjective
- callousnesspositive
- more callousnesscomparative
- most callousnesssuperlative
1. describes skin that has become hard, thick, and rough, usually on the hands, fee
describes skin that has become hard, thick, and rough, usually on the hands, feet, or other parts of the body that experience repeated rubbing, pressure, or heavy use
Daichi's callous heels cracked and bled after weeks of hiking without proper boots.
callous/calloused [body part] — skin hardened by friction
Regular guitar practice had left callous fingertips on the musician's left hand.
callous fingertips — from repeated contact or pressure
Élise gently rubbed moisturiser into her calloused elbows every evening after work.
The nurse noticed calloused areas on the patient's palms from using crutches.
用法筆記
Some writers prefer the spelling 'calloused' for this physical sense. Both 'callous' and 'calloused' are acceptable when describing skin hardened by friction. For the emotional meanings, see sense 2 and sense 3 below.
常見錯誤
2. describes a person who no longer experiences normal feelings such as sadness, fe
describes a person who no longer experiences normal feelings such as sadness, fear, or excitement, usually because they have been through very difficult experiences over a long time
After years of covering bad news, the journalist had grown callous to stories of suffering and loss.
grow / become callous to [something]
The constant criticism from her parents had made the child callous to their harsh words.
Hiro tried hard not to become callous to the pain of refugees around him.
Living through the bombing had made the old soldier callous to the sounds of explosions nearby.
- numb
describes a temporary or permanent loss of feeling; less judgmental than callous
- desensitised
suggests a gradual loss of sensitivity due to repeated exposure
- hardened
suggests emotional toughness developed through experience
用法筆記
Always takes the preposition 'to' to specify what the person no longer feels. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense describes a general emotional numbness, while sense 3 describes active disregard for others.
常見錯誤
3. describes someone who does not care about other people's difficulties or sufferi
describes someone who does not care about other people's difficulties or suffering and shows no desire to help them, often seeming to think that the other person deserves their misfortune
Mira thought the government's refusal to fund the shelter was a callous decision that hurt the most vulnerable people.
Tomás could not believe how callous his boss was when he asked for sick leave.
callous [person] — ignoring someone's needs
The callous remark about the child's appearance made everyone at the dinner table feel uncomfortable.
Only a callous person would ignore an elderly neighbour who is clearly struggling to carry heavy shopping bags.
- heartless
stronger and more emotional than callous; suggests a complete lack of human feeling
- cold-blooded
suggests deliberate cruelty, often used for violent acts
- unsympathetic
milder than callous; means not showing understanding or support
- compassionate
feeling and showing concern for others' suffering
- caring
showing kindness and concern for others
用法筆記
Frequently used to criticise decisions, remarks, or actions of authority figures such as governments, companies, or managers. This sense is stronger than sense 2 — it implies active disregard for others, not just emotional numbness.
常見錯誤
callousness — verb
- callousnesspresent simple I / you / we / they
- callousnesses3rd person singular
- callousnessing-ing form
- callousnessedpast simple
1. to make a person's character become less sensitive and caring about others; or t
to make a person's character become less sensitive and caring about others; or to make the skin become hard and thick through repeated friction or pressure
Working as a debt collector for ten years had calloused his heart to the struggles of ordinary people.
callous one's heart to [something] — emotional hardening
The constant friction of the heavy backpack calloused the skin on her shoulders until it was tough as leather.
callous the skin — physical hardening
Valentina worried that teaching in the city's toughest school would callous her sympathy for struggling students.
Years of chopping wood had calloused Justin's hands until they felt like leather.
- harden
more common and general; can apply to any material or emotion
- toughen
suggests making someone emotionally or physically stronger, not necessarily colder
- desensitise
more formal and specific to emotional numbness from repeated exposure
文法句型
callous + object
be calloused by [experience]
用法筆記
This verb is relatively rare in everyday speech; the adjective forms (senses 2 and 3) and the phrase 'become callous' are far more common. Frequently used in the passive: 'He was calloused by years of hardship.'