cold-blooded
adjective
cold-blood·ed
ˈkōl(d)-ˈblə-dəd 
1
a
: done or acting without consideration, compunction, or clemency
cold-blooded murder
b
: matter-of-fact, emotionless
a cold-blooded assessment
2
: having cold blood
specifically
: having a body temperature not internally regulated but approximating that of the environment
3
or coldblood
: of mixed or inferior breeding
4
: noticeably sensitive to cold
cold-bloodedly
adverb
cold-bloodedness
noun
Synonyms
- affectless
- callous
- case-hardened
- compassionless
- desensitized
- hard
- hard-boiled
- hard-hearted
- heartless
- indurate
- inhuman
- inhumane
- insensate
- insensitive
- ironhearted
- merciless
- obdurate
- pachydermatous
- pitiless
- remorseless
- ruthless
- slash-and-burn
- soulless
- stony
- stoney
- stonyhearted
- take-no-prisoners
- thick-skinned
- uncharitable
- unfeeling
- unmerciful
- unsparing
- unsympathetic
Examples of cold-blooded in a Sentence
a cold-blooded criminal who never once showed an ounce of mercy to his victims
the cold-blooded selfishness shown by the miser when confronted by people in need
a cold-blooded assessment of the situation showed that the company needed either to lay off workers or go bankrupt
he may not be as fancy as the other horses they own, but that cold-blooded gelding is safe and gentle
Recent Examples on the Web
Scientists used to think that all dinosaurs were cold-blooded, meaning that, like modern lizards, their body temperatures were dependent on their surroundings.
—
Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2024
Paul Walter Hauser is known for both his warm-hearted and cold-blooded characters on screen.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 15 May 2024
Scientists once thought of dinosaurs as sluggish, cold-blooded creatures.
—CBS News, 15 May 2024
That migration suggests that some dinos may have developed the ability to generate body heat, unlike their cold-blooded cousins, whose internal temps were subjected to the whims of weather.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2024
In the film, Ali, a university professor, is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 14 May 2024
Being cold-blooded, the chilly depths cause their cells to slow down, resulting in slower growth but also less wear and tear over time.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 25 Apr. 2024
How a ‘cold-blooded killer’ called Smiley, who haunted L.A. for 14 years, finally faced justice.
‘Help me, help me’: A Metro bus driver is stabbed, reviving fears about safety.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Even a cold-blooded cost-benefit analysis justifies an investment, once again, of American blood, treasure, and leadership attention.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2024
Paul Walter Hauser is known for both his warm-hearted and cold-blooded characters on screen.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 15 May 2024
Scientists once thought of dinosaurs as sluggish, cold-blooded creatures.
—CBS News, 15 May 2024
That migration suggests that some dinos may have developed the ability to generate body heat, unlike their cold-blooded cousins, whose internal temps were subjected to the whims of weather.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2024
In the film, Ali, a university professor, is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 14 May 2024
Being cold-blooded, the chilly depths cause their cells to slow down, resulting in slower growth but also less wear and tear over time.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 25 Apr. 2024
How a ‘cold-blooded killer’ called Smiley, who haunted L.A. for 14 years, finally faced justice.
‘Help me, help me’: A Metro bus driver is stabbed, reviving fears about safety.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Even a cold-blooded cost-benefit analysis justifies an investment, once again, of American blood, treasure, and leadership attention.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cold-blooded.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cold-blooded
Cite this Entry
“Cold-blooded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold-blooded. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cold-blooded
adjective
cold-blood·ed
ˈkōl(d)-ˈbləd-əd
: having a body temperature not internally regulated but approximating that of the environment : poikilothermic
cold-blooded amphibians and reptiles
cold-bloodedness
noun
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