cold-blooded

adjective

ˈkōl(d)-ˈblə-dəd How to pronounce cold-blooded (audio)
Definition of cold-bloodednext
1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings a cold-blooded criminal who never once showed an ounce of mercy to his victims

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in icy
lacking in friendliness or warmth of feeling the cold-blooded selfishness shown by the miser when confronted by people in need

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3
as in stoic
not feeling or showing emotion a cold-blooded assessment of the situation showed that the company needed either to lay off workers or go bankrupt

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4
as in hybrid
or coldblood being offspring produced by parents of different races, breeds, species, or genera he may not be as fancy as the other horses they own, but that cold-blooded gelding is safe and gentle

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cold-blooded Like all sea turtle species, loggerheads are cold-blooded and rely on warm ocean temperatures. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 16 June 2026 At the same time, the people making the party’s spending decisions can be cold-blooded in the other direction; if better opportunities emerge, or if Platner slips way behind Collins, Democrats could prioritize other states. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 10 June 2026 To plants and cold-blooded creatures, in contrast, fungi pose grave threats. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 25 May 2026 Today, monitor lizards are considered to be among the most intelligent of all cold-blooded animals. — Craig Stanford, Big Think, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cold-blooded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold-blooded
  1. ruthless
  2. icy
  3. stoic
  4. hybrid
  5. merciless
  6. cold
  7. mixed
  8. frigid
Adjective
  • Today, it is widely known that coal miners of the 19th and early 20th centuries experienced ruthless exploitation and hazardous working conditions.
    — Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Involuntary bumping is more ruthless, denying boarding to passengers in a joyless game of musical plane seats.
    — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruthless
Adjective
  • Available both in the restaurant and the cafe at All Mart’s entrance, this icy dessert has a floral cardamom flavor and a slight crunch from its dusting of pistachios.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But there’s no icy chill to his vision, only the glib confidence that a feel-good montage or a piercing Anohni and the Johnsons ballad will blind us to his film’s lack of human connection.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of icy
Adjective
  • John McKinney, 58, who leapfrogged to a second-place finish in the primaries amid a stoic, law-and-order campaign that sometimes slipped into Spencer Pratt-style dystopian imagery.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Filson Rugged Twill Original Briefcase Not everyone wants to resemble Don Draper at the office—some men prefer the stoic, rugged vibe.
    — Genevieve Cepeda, InStyle, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of stoic
Adjective
  • Although the exact contours of NNSD are still emerging, the concept appears to be more escalatory than the hybrid warfare and deniable asymmetric campaigns that Russia is currently pursuing in Europe.
    — Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The Office for National Statistics found that working parents were more likely to hybrid work than non-parents in Great Britain, and male working parents were more likely to hybrid work than female working parents.
    — Gleb Tsipursky, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of hybrid
Adjective
  • It would be seen as a work of merciless autofiction in the vein of Karl Ove Knausgaard, and it would be discussed, as his books are, as aggressive, antisocial, and spiteful.
    — B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In the story, Ria teams up with her foster mother and their fellow punks to resist a merciless developer intent on tearing down their building.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of merciless
Adjective
  • The instigating weather system bringing the risk to the Southwest is an upper-level low — or a high altitude pocket of cold air, low pressure and spin.
    — Jamie Ross, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The case went cold until 2014, when Stockwell was located and interviewed by cold case detectives.
    — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • The gallery’s upcoming exhibition of paintings, sculpture and mixed media works by Spanish artist Manolo Valdés brings another perspective to the district; his sculpture is also part of the outdoor environment.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • However, the actual performance for input lag is a little mixed.
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of mixed
Adjective
  • In any office environment that can range from boiling to frigid, smart layering is an absolute necessity.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 20 Oct. 2026
  • This unique trait has led planetary scientists to hypothesize that the asteroid formed in the frigid outer solar system and migrated inward early in the solar system's history.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of frigid

Browse Nearby Words

cold
cold-blooded
cold-bloodedly
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Cite this Entry

“Cold-blooded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold-blooded. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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