Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| spietato | /spjeˈta.to/ |
| crudele | /kruˈdɛ.le/ |
The term is used to describe someone or something that acts without pity or compassion. You can use the phrase senza scrupoli formally to convey a ruthless character, or the phrase senza pietà in informal contexts to describe someone acting without mercy. Colloquially, you might describe someone as senza cuore, which literally means 'without a heart'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word spietato is composed of the prefix s-, which denotes negation and pietà, meaning pity or compassion. It literally means 'without pity'.
Which one should you use?
While spietato emphasizes a specific lack of mercy or compassion, crudele is a more general term for cruelty that can describe both a person's nature and their specific behaviors.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective spietato must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. Use spietata for feminine nouns and spietati for masculine or mixed-gender plural groups.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /spjeˈta.to/.
Did you know?
- While spietato is the direct translation for 'ruthless', Italians often use the expression non avere peli sullo stomaco to describe someone who is blunt and ruthless in their approach.
- The root of crudele is the Latin word crūdus, which means 'raw' or 'bloody'.
- In Italian, pietà can mean 'pity' or 'mercy', but it is also the specific term for the 'Pietà', the iconic sculpture of the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus.
Examples in context
- È avido e spietato.He's greedy and ruthless.This sentence is useful for describing someone who is both greedy and ruthless using spietato.Tatoeba #2188695 by Guybrush88, translation #1879784 by Spamster
- Tom è spietato, vero?Tom is ruthless, isn't he?This sentence is useful for asking for confirmation about someone's ruthlessness using spietato.Tatoeba #7045562 by Guybrush88, translation #3416929 by CK
- Yanni era un assassino spietato.Yanni was a ruthless killer.This sentence is useful for describing a person as a ruthless killer using spietato.Tatoeba #14031621 by Guybrush88, translation #9008225 by Amastan
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Martina are discussing a tough boss.
- FrancescoIl nostro nuovo capo è davvero spietato.Our new boss is truly ruthless.
- MartinaSì, non ha pietà per nessuno.Yes, he has no pity for anyone.
- FrancescoNon capisco come possa essere così spietato.I don't understand how he can be so ruthless.
- MartinaÈ il suo modo di fare affari, Francesco.It is his way of doing business, Francesco.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ruthless” translations and entries spietato, crudele, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries crudele, spietato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
