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
Oysters are cold-blooded creatures that hibernate if the water is too frigid.
—
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
Her campaign of terror included over 18,000 emails, 50,000 text messages, threats to his girlfriends and loved ones, and, eventually, cold-blooded murder.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Markel was gunned down in his driveway in Tallahassee in what prosecutors had called a cold-blooded family plot to free her daughter, Wendi Adelson, from a bitter custody battle following a messy divorce.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The pic centers on Ali (Ekin Koç), a university professor who is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cold-blooded
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Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
Her campaign of terror included over 18,000 emails, 50,000 text messages, threats to his girlfriends and loved ones, and, eventually, cold-blooded murder.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Markel was gunned down in his driveway in Tallahassee in what prosecutors had called a cold-blooded family plot to free her daughter, Wendi Adelson, from a bitter custody battle following a messy divorce.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The pic centers on Ali (Ekin Koç), a university professor who is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 26 Aug. 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 31 Oct. 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
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