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
: of mixed or inferior breeding
4
: noticeably sensitive to cold
cold-bloodedly
adverb
cold-bloodedness
noun
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
The dilemma about his son provides the bare minimum of drama to chew on, allowing Dexter’s focus to shift toward playful topics like his new cold-blooded buddies and the peculiar nature of his new playground, New York City.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2025
Movie review: ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ is a cold-blooded clone in which wonder has gone extinct.
—Andrew J. Campa
follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025
May is already an active month for cold-blooded creatures, as many reptiles have emerged from winter brumation — a hibernation-like state — to begin mating.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Emmy winner Barkin's take on Smurf in Animal Kingdom is as a fierce, cold-blooded matriarch who calls all the shots — but the real-life inspiration behind her character wasn't quite the queenpin she's made out to be onscreen.
—Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cold-blooded
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2025
Movie review: ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ is a cold-blooded clone in which wonder has gone extinct.
—Andrew J. Campa
follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025
May is already an active month for cold-blooded creatures, as many reptiles have emerged from winter brumation — a hibernation-like state — to begin mating.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Emmy winner Barkin's take on Smurf in Animal Kingdom is as a fierce, cold-blooded matriarch who calls all the shots — but the real-life inspiration behind her character wasn't quite the queenpin she's made out to be onscreen.
—Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cold-blooded
Cite this Entry
“Cold-blooded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold-blooded. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share