halfheartedness

noun

as in coldness

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for halfheartedness
  1. coldness
  2. heartlessness
  3. callousness
  4. hardness
  5. obduracy
  6. coolness
  7. numbness
  8. insensitivity
Noun
  • The house was a metaphor for the coldness of a relationship that’s faded and atrophied.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The danger occurs if that ruthlessness veers into institutional coldness.
    — James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of coldness
Noun
  • These young graduates start out naive about the heartlessness of the corporate world and harbor illusory hopes for success in unforgiving professions.
    — George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
  • The lives of the two children in the story, aged fourteen and four, are portrayed as being as fleeting as the fireflies, and the story is an unsentimental and unflinching account with moments of both tenderness and heartlessness.
    — Ginny Tapley Takemori September 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Definition of heartlessness
Noun
  • The boys’ callousness quickly turned to disgust, their contempt steadily aimed at Neil.
    — S. M. Reznik, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Vicki brushes it off, and even Shannon can’t defend her friend’s callousness.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of callousness
Noun
  • Chrysoberyl is a rare gemstone prized for its exceptional hardness and brilliance, known for its honey and chartreuse hues that shift under the light, making Khaled’s one-of-a-kind watch shine that much brighter.
    — Taylor Stoddard, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, measuring about 5 on the Mohs hardness scale, which is higher than some types of iron and steel, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of hardness
Noun
  • Perhaps the greatest testament to Morocco’s obduracy came late in normal time, when Rodri — a central midfielder being deployed as a central defender — strode forward and shot, more in hope than in expectation, from 35 yards.
    — Rory Smith, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2022
  • But a year later, more than two dozen of them remain stuck in Afghanistan, stalled by bureaucratic wrangling, the vagaries of international diplomacy and the obduracy of the Taliban government.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2022
Definition of obduracy
Noun
  • Others could imitate but never replicate; their coolness was predicated on their originality.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • And despite its inherent coolness, the music and culture is a very studious art form.
    — Steve Baltin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of coolness
Noun
  • Signs such as numbness, vision changes, fatigue, and difficulty walking can occur in many other neurological disorders.
    — Bruce Bebo, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Symptoms include difficulty with movement and balance, dizziness, numbness and vision changes.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of numbness
Noun
  • In a variation on her character from Parasite, Cho deftly underplays Yi-je’s insensitivity as another woman projecting a blithe lack of awareness of her privilege.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Sherman is known to savage, with unglamorous insensitivity, the vaunted creative directors of the great houses.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of insensitivity
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.

Browse Nearby Words

halfheartedly
halfheartedness
half-life
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Cite this Entry

“Halfheartedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halfheartedness. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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