callous

The twelve year old girl stood in horrified shock by the side of the road. Massive guilt overwhelmed her because the family dog had slipped out the door while she was leaving the camper. The body lay in the road where it had landed after being launched into the air.

Adult: You know, if you hadn't been chasing her, she wouldn't be dead.

Cal"lous (?), a. [L. callosus callous hard, fr. callum, callus, callous skin: cf. F. calleux.]

1.

Hardenes; indurated.

"A callous hand." Goldsmith. "A callous ulcer." Dunglison.

2.

Hardened in mind; insensible; unfeeling; unsusceptible.

"The callous diplomatist."

Macaulay.

It is an immense blessing to be perfectly callous to ridicule. T. Arnold.

Syn. -- Obdurate; hard; hardened; indurated; insensible; unfeeling; unsusceptible. See Obdurate.

-- Cal"lous*ly, adv. -- Cal"lous*ness, n.

A callousness and numbness of soul. Bentley.

 

© Webster 1913.