Logo
Search icon

callous

/ˈkæləs/

adjective

Meaning

  • Emotionally hardened; unfeeling and indifferent to the suffering/feelings of others.

    "She was so callous that she could criticise a cancer patient for wearing a wig."

  • Having calluses.

Synonyms

heartless,
insensitive

noun

Meaning

  • A hardened area of the skin (especially on the foot or hand) caused by repeated friction, wear or use.

  • The material of repair in fractures of bone; a substance exuded at the site of fracture, which is at first soft or cartilaginous in consistency, but is ultimately converted into true bone and unites the fragments into a single piece.

  • The new formation over the end of a cutting, before it puts out rootlets.

  • A shining area on the frons of many species of Tabanomorpha (horse flies and relatives).