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
  • The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Facinelli plays the Boss, a ruthless figure whose cash ends up in the pool hustler’s hands, and intends to get it back, one way or another.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruthless
Adjective
  • In winter, some wetlands become more accessible as thick, spongelike layers of organic-rich peat freeze solid and become strong enough to support snow machines on their icy surfaces.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Set against the Swiss Alps, the story follows an Englishman (Spall) found barely alive in an icy mountain stream by local woman Alma (Deleila Piasko) and her young son, Franz.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of icy
Adjective
  • Terrence split almost immediately, and Julianne deposited her small son on the Missouri farm of her Uncle Claude, a stoic, kindly old man.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Aaron is maybe a little more stoic than his character is written, which then allowed Gabe [to have] this kinetic, golden retriever energy.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of stoic
Adjective
  • The team also highlighted that electric motors power a wide range or technologies, from hybrid or electric vehicles, to industrial systems and household appliances.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • European leaders fear Moscow's wider ambitions on the continent and accuse Russia of sabotage as part of a hybrid war.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hybrid
Adjective
  • The book’s humor is sharp and merciless, akin to that of a standup comedy show, and yet the things described are far from funny.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Cora, the granddaughter of a woman kidnapped from West Africa and sold into slavery, flees her captor’s plantation, plunging her into the book’s alternate steampunk reality where she is pursued by the merciless slave catcher Ridgeway.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of merciless
Adjective
  • That level of pure confidence while talking to the person with cold, hard footage is what makes Lisa Barlow the perfect Real Housewife.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Shea’s supervisor confronted her when Shea’s findings in a cold case could not be replicated.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • In the cursed days of auto-sync, pre-mixed sets, and the celebrity spinner, few have done as much to defend the noble art of the DJ as Felix Manuel, aka Djrum, a selector who combines galactically expansive taste with equally vast technical skill.
    — Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Reaction was mixed, with one organizer raising the importance of Black fraternities and sororities on campus.
    — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of mixed
Adjective
  • 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
  • The arid and sublime West, the sunny South, the frigid Midwest or the dense East — populations ebb and flow in each.
    — Washington Post Opinions, Washington Post, 8 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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