hard-hearted

adjective

hard-heart·​ed ˈhärd-ˈhär-təd How to pronounce hard-hearted (audio)
: lacking in sympathetic understanding : unfeeling, pitiless
hard-heartedly adverb
hard-heartedness noun

Examples of hard-hearted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Technically Shaw is a mercenary, but not a cynical or hard-hearted one. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 11 Feb. 2024 Xi and his team haven’t shown much more concern than the hard-hearted villagers of Lu Xun’s story. Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 29 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hard-hearted.' 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

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard-hearted was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near hard-hearted

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

hard-hearted

adjective
hard-heart·​ed
-ˈhärt-əd
hard-heartedly adverb
hard-heartedness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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