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
There were some questions that the documents couldn’t answer, about his behavior on the night of the crime and afterward—the perplexing acts and omissions that had allowed the prosecution to present him as a cold-blooded villain.
—
Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
Juliette Lewis and Peter Dinklage have a cold-blooded face-off in a new Western film.
—Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 23 July 2024
Look into my eyes by Pete Burford Being cold-blooded, damselflies and other insects cannot generate their own body heat.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2024
Snakes are cold-blooded and use the temperature of their environment to regulate their bodies.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for cold-blooded 
Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
Juliette Lewis and Peter Dinklage have a cold-blooded face-off in a new Western film.
—Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 23 July 2024
Look into my eyes by Pete Burford Being cold-blooded, damselflies and other insects cannot generate their own body heat.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2024
Snakes are cold-blooded and use the temperature of their environment to regulate their bodies.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for cold-blooded
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 19 Aug. 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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