cold-blooded

adjective

cold-blood·​ed ˈkōl(d)-ˈblə-dəd 

1

a

: done or acting without consideration, compunction, or clemency

cold-blooded murder

b

: matter-of-fact, emotionless

a cold-blooded assessment

2

: having cold blood

specifically : having a body temperature not internally regulated but approximating that of the environment

3

or coldblood

ˈkōl(d)-ˈbləd 

: of mixed or inferior breeding

4

: noticeably sensitive to cold

cold-bloodedly adverb

cold-bloodedness noun

Synonyms of cold-blooded

• ruthless
• merciless

Examples of cold-blooded in a Sentence

a cold-blooded criminal who never once showed an ounce of mercy to his victims

the cold-blooded selfishness shown by the miser when confronted by people in need

a cold-blooded assessment of the situation showed that the company needed either to lay off workers or go bankrupt

he may not be as fancy as the other horses they own, but that cold-blooded gelding is safe and gentle

Recent Examples on the Web

Committing a cold-blooded murder of a middle-class white woman in broad daylight who tried to get out of their way. —Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2026

Like all snakes, venomous snakes are cold-blooded, relying on the environment’s heat to regulate their body temperature. —Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 14 Jan. 2026

Galvin called the crime cold-blooded and horrendous. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026

Besides being a sport, football is a cold-blooded, harsh and lucrative business. —Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for cold-blooded

• blooded
• budded
• flooded
• studded
• thudded

Kids Definition

cold-blooded

adjective

cold-blood·​ed

ˈkōl(d)-ˈbləd-əd

1

: lacking or showing a lack of natural human feelings

a cold-blooded criminal

2

: having a body temperature not regulated by the body and close to that of the environment

3

: sensitive to cold

cold-bloodedly adverb

Medical Definition

cold-blooded

adjective

cold-blood·​ed ˈkōl(d)-ˈbləd-əd 

: having a body temperature not internally regulated but approximating that of the environment : poikilothermic

cold-blooded amphibians and reptiles

cold-bloodedness noun