Compassion
Compassion noun - Sorrow or the capacity to feel sorrow for another's suffering or misfortune.
Ruthlessness is an antonym for compassion.
Ruthlessness
Ruthlessness noun - Feelings of extreme heartlessness.
Both words in one sentence
-
The Autobots and Decepticons also realize that ideals, ruthlessness and compassion will not win the war, resources will, and that they may have damned themselves with what little is left on the planet.
Source: War Is Hell -
Beware the Nice Ones: Ender has his sister's compassion but his brother's ruthlessness (much to Ender's dismay).
Source: Literature / Ender's Game - Karla has shown himself to have Smiley's compassion, and Smiley has to use Karla's ruthlessness to exploit it.
Source: Literature / The Quest for Karla
Cite this Source
Ruthlessness and Compassion. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/compassion/ruthlessness
Compassion & Ruthlessness. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/compassion/ruthlessness>.
Ruthlessness or Compassion. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/compassion/ruthlessness.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "compassion" and "ruthlessness" have occurred on timeline