Meaning & use
a cold-hearted person
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrasedisapproving
Someone who shows no kindness or sympathy toward other people.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; the adjective 'cold-hearted' can also stand alone after verbs like 'be' or 'seem'.
Patterns
- a cold-hearted person
- be cold-hearted toward someone
- seem cold-hearted
Only a cold-hearted person could walk past a lost child without helping.
Her boss was a cold-hearted person who never asked how anyone was feeling.
He is not a cold-hearted person; he is just shy and finds it hard to show emotion.
Common combinations
- a cold-hearted person
- She is not a cold-hearted person, but she hides her feelings well.
- seem cold-hearted
- He seemed cold-hearted when he refused to visit his sick aunt.
- cold-hearted decision
- Closing the shelter was a cold-hearted decision.
- cold-hearted toward someone
- They were cold-hearted toward the family after the accident.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unkind
- A general word for not being nice; 'cold-hearted' is stronger and suggests a lack of sympathy or warmth.
- heartless
- Very close in meaning, but 'heartless' often describes actions or behavior, while 'cold-hearted' more often describes a person.
- uncaring
- Means not interested in others' problems; 'cold-hearted' sounds more emotional and disapproving.
Opposites
Word family
- cold-heartedness noun
- The quality of showing no kindness or sympathy.
- coldly adverb
- In an unfriendly way, without warmth.
- coldness noun
- A lack of friendly feeling.
Commonly confused: a cold-hearted person or cold-blooded?
a cold-hearted person vs cold-blooded
In everyday use 'cold-blooded' describes cruel violence (a cold-blooded murder) or animals whose body temperature changes; it does not simply mean unfriendly.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'cold-hearted' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Cold-hearted' describes a person who lacks kindness, so option 2 is correct. Option 1 needs 'cold' or 'unenthusiastic' (you can be cold to an idea, but 'cold-hearted' describes character), option 3 confuses it with weather, and option 4 uses it as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a cold-hearted person”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.