Without pity, mercy, or compassion; cruel and unmerciful.
From Old English 'piti' (pity) plus the suffix '-less' (without). The '-less' suffix, used for over a thousand years, transforms nouns into adjectives meaning 'without' that quality.
The '-less' suffix is English's way of negation—it's simpler and older than 'not' for many words. Pitiless, homeless, careless, and countless others show how a single suffix can erase a quality, turning pity into its opposite with just four letters.
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