Callous means emotionally hardened or insensitive to other people's pain and feelings. A callous person sees someone struggling or hurting and simply doesn't care.

The word comes from the thick, toughened skin that forms on your hands after hard physical work. Just as those skin calluses can't feel much because they've been hardened by friction, a callous attitude means your emotions have become so hardened that you can't feel empathy for others.

A student who laughs when a classmate gets injured is being callous. A wealthy person who refuses to help someone in obvious need might be called callous. When a leader makes decisions without considering how they affect real people's lives, that's callous leadership.

Being callous is different from being tough or strong. You can be brave and resilient without losing your ability to care about others. A callous person has let their heart become numb, while someone with genuine strength maintains compassion even when life gets difficult.

The opposite of callous would be compassionate, empathetic, or tenderhearted. Those qualities help you feel connected to others and respond with kindness when they need help.