COLD-EYED Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

cold-eyed

adjective

ˈkōld-ˈīd

Definition of cold-eyed

as in detached

having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others the attendant's cold-eyed stare discouraged any thoughts about having a conversation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in icy

lacking in friendliness or warmth of feeling under the cold-eyed gaze of the director, I auditioned for the part

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-eyed Played by a Colman Domingo who is done up to look the most wax figurine of them all in a shellacking of makeup, prosthetics, and colored contacts, Joe is always either giving an avaricious open-mouthed leer or a cold-eyed glare. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026 Yet, however eager the demonstrations of Denmark’s contribution and NATO’s collective goodwill may be, a more cold-eyed rationale may lie beneath their surface. — Lisa Abend, Time, 18 Jan. 2026 The patriarch would like the ladies and Coleman to join him forthwith in Mexico; the letter’s bearer – a cold-eyed brute named Amos Turlow – will serve as guide. — Erin Douglass, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2025 Acknowledging this is cold-eyed realism; humiliating and undercutting an ally, perhaps with worse to come in the form of a sweetheart deal for Moscow, is not. — The Editors, National Review, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cold-eyed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold-eyed

Adjective

Guests return year on year, generation on generation, making Coral Reef Club the perfect antidote to the detached, impersonal sheen of the modern chain resort.

— Jonnie Bayfield, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
Or a pig’s leg lying off to the side, detached and jittering, could resemble Ted’s leg.

— Will Mackin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026

Definition of detached

Adjective

Backstage, Punk had a friendly, if not icy, exchange with Damian Priest.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
The Perseid meteor shower is finally active, bringing the potential for gorgeous shooting stars and fireballs as Earth plunges into the trail of debris shed by the icy comet Swift-Tuttle.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of icy

Adjective

Nonlocality, whose experimental verification helped earn the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, allows distant quantum systems to produce correlations that cannot be explained by classical physics alone.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
That can change, but this is probably measured in decades, not years—and seems more distant today than in the recent past.

— Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Fortune, 17 July 2026

Definition of distant

Adjective

Inspectors also noticed that cold foods were being held at incorrect temperatures, according to the report.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Ceviche arrives bright and cold, sharpened by citrus, softened by fresh seafood, and lifted with herbs and heat.

— Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

Definition of cold

Adjective

Phaedra pleads with Porsha to at least keep it cool at her birthday dinner that evening, but Porsha can’t even promise that.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026
If Spain keep cool, then Argentina run hot; a warm-blooded, emotional, often chaotic side where performances swing wildly within games, never mind from one match to the next.

— Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Definition of cool

Adjective

The Falkland Islands, the English call the windswept, rocky outcrops in the frigid south Atlantic Ocean.

— Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2026
In the first room, a hulking pair of Nazi overboots, used by German infantry to guard against frigid Russian winters during World War II, serves as the centerpiece of a display on the symbolism of footwear.

— Douglas Markowitz, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026

Definition of frigid

Adjective

Likewise, the respite afforded by the twin hydration breaks has also reduced the need for improvised periods of gentlemanly repose, which in turn has lessened the demand for the chilly spray.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
One man, Clifford Boisa, died immediately after being retrieved from the chilly water.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026

Definition of chilly

Adjective

Persistent wilting, widespread leaf drop, and brittle stems are signs your tomato plant is unlikely to recover.

— Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 15 July 2026
Wilting when soil moisture seems adequate, browning brittle leaves, and stunted growth can all be signs of too much fertilizer.

— Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026

Definition of brittle

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cold creams

cold-eyed

cold feet

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“Cold-eyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold-eyed. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of cold-eyed

adjective

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