Callous

• POS: Adjective, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: cal=lous

CIDE DICTIONARY

Callous, a. [L. callosus callous hard, fr. callum, callus, callous skin: cf. F. calleux.].

•  Hardened; indurated.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hardened in mind; insensible; unfeeling; unsusceptible.  Macaulay.  [1913 Webster]

  "It is an immense blessing to be perfectly callous to ridicule."

  "A callousness and numbness of soul."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Obdurate; hard; hardened; indurated; insensible; unfeeling; unsusceptible. See Obdurate.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Callous, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 unfeeling, insensitive.
2 (of skin) hardened or hard.
--n. = CALLUS 1.

Derivative

callously adv. (in sense
1 of adj.). callousness n.

Etymology

ME f. L callosus (as CALLUS) or F calleux

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Callous

adj. Gifted with great fortitude to bear the evils afflicting another.
When Zeno was told that one of his enemies was no more he was observed to be deeply moved. "What!" said one of his disciples, "you weep at the death of an enemy?" "Ah, 'tis true," replied the great Stoic; "but you should see me smile at the death of a friend."

THESAURUS

Callous

Philistine, anneal, apathetic, asleep, backed, benumbed, brazen, brutalize, calcified, calcify, calloused, case harden, case-hardened, cold, cold of heart, coldblooded, coldhearted, conscienceless, cornify, crusted, crusty, crystallized, dead, deadened, dull, firm, flinthearted, flinty, fossilize, fossilized, granulated, hard, hard of heart, hard-boiled, hard-nosed, harden, hardened, hardhearted, heartless, hornified, impassible, impenitent, imperceptive, impercipient, impervious, incrusted, indifferent, indurate, indurated, insensate, insensible, insensitive, insentient, insolent, inure, inured, lapidified, lapidify, lithify, lost to shame, numb, numbed, obdurate, obtuse, ossified, ossify, pachydermatous, petrified, petrify, proof against, reinforced, rigidified, sclerotic, seared, set, shameless, solidified, steel, steeled, steeled against, steely, stiffened, stony, stonyhearted, strengthened, temper, thick-skinned, thick-witted, tough, toughen, toughened, unabject, unblushing, uncaring, uncompassionate, uncontrite, unemotional, unfeeling, unfelt, unmelted, unmerciful, unnatural, unperceptive, unrepentant, unrepenting, unresponsive, unsoftened, unsympathetic, untouched, vitrified, vitrify

ROGET THESAURUS

Callous

Insensibility

N insensibility, insensibleness, moral insensibility, inertness, inertia, vis inertiae, impassibility, impassibleness, inappetency, apathy, phlegm, dullness, hebetude, supineness, lukewarmness, cold fit, cold blood, cold heart, coldness, coolness, frigidity, sang froid, stoicism, imperturbation, nonchalance, unconcern, dry eyes, insouciance, recklessness, callousness, heart of stone, stock and stone, marble, deadness, torpor, torpidity, obstupefaction, lethargy, coma, trance, vegetative state, sleep, suspended animation, stupor, stupefaction, paralysis, palsy, numbness, neutrality, quietism, vegetation, insensible, unconscious, impassive, impassible, blind to, deaf to, dead to, unsusceptible, insusceptible, unimpressionable, unimpressible, passionless, spiritless, heartless, soulless, unfeeling, unmoral, apathetic, leuco-, phlegmatic, dull, frigid, cold blooded, cold hearted, cold as charity, flat, maudlin, obtuse, inert, supine, sluggish, torpid, torpedinous, torporific, sleepy, languid, half-hearted, tame, numbed, comatose, anaesthetic, stupefied, chloroformed, drugged, stoned, palsy-stricken, indifferent, lukewarm, careless, mindless, regardless, inattentive, neglectful, disregarding, unconcerned, nonchalant, pococurante, insouciant, sans souci, unambitious, unaffected, unruffled, unimpressed, uninspired, unexcited, unmoved, unstirred, untouched, unshocked, unstruck, unblushing, unanimated, vegetative, callous, thick-skinned, hard-nosed, pachydermatous, impervious, hardened, inured, casehardened, steeled against, proof against, imperturbable, unfelt, insensibly, aequo animo, without being moved, without being touched, without being impressed, in cold blood, with dry eyes, with withers unwrung, never mind, macht nichts, it is of no consequence, it cannot be helped, nothing coming amiss, it is all the same to, it is all one to.

Physical Insensibility

N insensibility, physical insensibility, obtuseness, palsy, paralysis, paraesthesia, anaesthesia, sleep, hemiplegia, motor paralysis, vegetable state, coma, anaesthetic agent, opium, ether, chloroform, chloral, nitrous oxide, laughing gas, exhilarating gas, protoxide of nitrogen, refrigeration, insensible, unfeeling, senseless, impercipient, callous, thick- skinned, pachydermatous, hard, hardened, case hardened, proof, obtuse, dull, anaesthetic, comatose, paralytic, palsied, numb, dead.