HALFHEARTEDNESS Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

halfheartedness

noun

as in coldness

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for halfheartedness

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

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

The 53-year-old senator experienced numbness in his arm Saturday afternoon while at his son’s hockey game, according to Allison Herwitt, the senator’s chief of staff in a statement Sunday.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 3 Nov. 2026
Other important symptoms of a stroke are a severe headache, confusion and numbness on one side of the body.

— Diane Webber, NPR, 1 Nov. 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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Halfheartedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halfheartedness. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of halfheartedness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

wabi-sabi

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes