Pitilessly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Without mercy or compassion, acting in a manner that is harsh, cruel, and unmoved by the suffering of others
2. In a manner devoid of mercy or sympathy, showing complete indifference to suffering or hardship
3. With cruel and unforgiving severity, demonstrating absolute lack of compassion toward those experiencing pain or distress

Etymology: "Pitilessly" is simply "pitiless" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added, and the ending has a longer history than the base word it attaches to. The "-ly" traces back through Old English "-līċe" to a Proto-Germanic element meaning "body-like" or "form-like," so it originally meant something like "in the manner of." Pitiless itself is pitiless from "pity" plus the suffix "-less," meaning "without," so the full word means "in a way that is without pity."

Synonyms: mercilessly, cruelly

Antonyms: compassionately