1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a cold-blooded criminal who never once showed an ounce of mercy to his victims
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in icy
lacking in friendliness or warmth of feeling
the cold-blooded selfishness shown by the miser when confronted by people in need
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stoic
not feeling or showing emotion
a cold-blooded assessment of the situation showed that the company needed either to lay off workers or go bankrupt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in hybrid
or coldblood
being offspring produced by parents of different races, breeds, species, or genera
he may not be as fancy as the other horses they own, but that cold-blooded gelding is safe and gentle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of cold-blooded
The research suggests that warm-blooded fish species, which include great whites, shortfin makos and salmon sharks, burn about four times more energy than cold-blooded species and will increasingly be forced into cooler regions with less food.
—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Some of the ocean’s most powerful predators are warm-blooded creatures that burn nearly four times more energy than their cold-blooded counterparts.
—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
Crowds returned to the Cal Expo Pavilion on Sunday to get an up close look at thousands of cold-blooded creatures at the 28th annual Sacramento Reptile Show.
—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
19 Apr. 2026
When science said dinosaurs were pea-brained and cold-blooded, humans took their demise as proof of the superiority of warm, clever mammals.
—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cold-blooded
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Some of the ocean’s most powerful predators are warm-blooded creatures that burn nearly four times more energy than their cold-blooded counterparts.
—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
Crowds returned to the Cal Expo Pavilion on Sunday to get an up close look at thousands of cold-blooded creatures at the 28th annual Sacramento Reptile Show.
—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
19 Apr. 2026
When science said dinosaurs were pea-brained and cold-blooded, humans took their demise as proof of the superiority of warm, clever mammals.
—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cold-blooded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold-blooded
Adjective
-
Canadian quartet Truck Violence have been sloshing together these subgenres in a ruthless manner for several years now, and their sophomore album and debut for the Flenser aims for even higher drops between those peaks and valleys.
-
There was relative peace for 11 years, until a second civil war erupted in 1983, when leaders in Khartoum imposed sharia (Islamic) law and accelerated repression of the southern Christian rebels, which ultimately allowed a ruthless military officer, Omar al-Bashir, to come to power in 1989.
Adjective
-
Their journey spans icy fjords, Byzantine intrigue, and the fabled Silk Road, blending Viking grit with ancient Chinese wisdom, unexpected alliances, and a touch of magic.
-
Through icy landscapes, courage and friendship are tested – and the children discover that the true magic of Christmas comes from togetherness.
Adjective
-
Instead, in much of popular culture, men often get messages encouraging them to be stoic and unemotional.
-
Your instinct may be to focus on logistics while avoiding your emotions… but unfortunately for you, this season is anything but stoic.
Adjective
-
Up until now, Rodrigo’s style reflected that musical predilection, with the singer’s rotation of plaid miniskirts and platform boots often landing as a hybrid mix between Gwen Stefani and Cher Horowitz.
-
The hybrid seller is the new standard.
Adjective
-
The poem that precedes it, the Iliad, is a cruel and beautiful work, the ultimate story of war; the Odyssey has its warlike passages, but its central energies seem almost commonplace beside the merciless fury of Achilles.
-
Humility is the posture; the standard is merciless.
Adjective
-
To prevent that, some operators maintain low oil flow rates, akin to dripping a faucet in freezing cold weather to avoid frozen pipes.
-
Aging And The Long Game Of Leadership The conversation around aging often centers on biohackers seeking to lower their biological age through cold plunges, red light therapy, and peptides.
Adjective
-
Having mixed roots himself—his mother came from a Catholic background while his father was Protestant—Rembrandt was likely especially sensitive to sectarian conflict that was raging at the time.
-
Attendees of the council meeting on Thursday night had a mixed reaction to the vote.
Adjective
-
That frigid January night, as police spent hours picking up pieces of her teeth and face off of the highway, there was no clear path forward in sight.
-
Snow, wind and frigid temperatures could combine to increase demand beyond what the state’s utilities can supply.
Cite this Entry
“Cold-blooded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold-blooded. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
