Callousnesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A lack of empathy or sensitivity towards others, often characterized by harshness and indifference
2. the quality of being emotionally unresponsive and indifferent to the feelings of others
3. a state of insensitivity that leads to disregard for the emotional suffering of people around oneself

Etymology: The plural "callousnesses" simply pluralises "callousness," the noun for the quality of being callous. That noun is built from "callous" plus the suffix "-ness," which English has attached to adjectives since Old English to turn them into nouns of quality. "-ness" descends from an Old English "-nes," itself tracing back through Proto-Germanic to a much older suffix. "Callous" is the older part of the pair. It comes from Latin "callosus," meaning "hardened" or "thick-skinned," from "callum," hard skin. Its first sense in English was literal: a callous was hardened skin on the hand or foot, and the adjective described skin that had toughened in this way. The figurative sense of being emotionally hardened and unfeeling developed from that physical image of tissue that no longer responds to touch.

Synonyms: insensitivity, hardness, toughness, indifference

Antonyms: sensitivity, kindness, compassion, tenderness