callousness
/ˈkæləsnəs/ · cal·lous·ness
noun
- The quality or state of being callous; a lack of feeling, sympathy, or concern for others. His callousness was evident when he dismissed the victims’ pleas as mere inconvenience.
- The condition of having a callus; a thickened, hardened area of skin. The callousness on the carpenter’s fingertips protected him from splinters.
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Antonyms
Did you know? Although today we think of "callousness" as emotional coldness, the word originally described the literal thickening of skin, a meaning still used in medical contexts.