coldhearted

adjective

cold·​heart·​ed ˈkōld-ˈhär-təd How to pronounce coldhearted (audio)
: marked by lack of sympathy, interest, or sensitivity
coldhearted criminals
a coldhearted refusal
coldheartedly adverb
coldheartedness noun

Examples of coldhearted in a Sentence

People are criticizing the government's coldhearted plans to stop funding programs for the poor.
Recent Examples on the Web The coldhearted doc resurrects Kirsty's stepmother, Julia (Clare Higgins), who has been stuck in hell alongside Pinhead (Bradley) and the Cenobites since the end of the first film. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 19 Oct. 2023 The image of the mustache-twirling landlord as villain goes back at least to the Industrial Revolution, when popular culture made the role synonymous with coldhearted extraction from the poor. Michael Friedrich, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2023 By the early ’90s, as hip-hop evolved from its upbeat dance origins to more coldhearted expressions, that shift threatened the careers of rappers who presented themselves as lovers. Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 6 Sep. 2023 Except that his equally coldhearted sister now threatens to take custody of her two beloved children, claiming that a single woman is no fit guardian for a young viscount. Olivia Waite, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2023 The biographer has succeeded in humanizing the public image of the coldhearted secret police chief. Kai Bird, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2022 But sometimes, modern science interrupts that story with coldhearted facts. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 7 July 2022 And if Roe is indeed overturned, God bless our country that can make such a terrible, coldhearted mistake and yet, half a century later, redress it, right it, turn it around. Peggy Noonan, WSJ, 5 May 2022 There are ambitious Black politicians, avaricious developers and coldhearted investment bankers. Rodney Ho, ajc, 7 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coldhearted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coldhearted was circa 1616

Dictionary Entries Near coldhearted

Cite this Entry

“Coldhearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coldhearted. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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