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Synonyms

heartless

American  
[hahrt-lis] / ˈhɑrt lɪs /

adjective

  1. unfeeling; unkind; unsympathetic; harsh; cruel.

    heartless words; a heartless ruler.

  2. Archaic. lacking courage or enthusiasm; spiritless; disheartened.


heartless British  
/ ˈhɑːtlɪs /

adjective

  1. unkind or cruel; hard-hearted

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • heartlessly adverb
  • heartlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of heartless

1300–50; Middle English herteles, Old English heortlēas. See heart, -less

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The story is rudimentary: Elongated blue cat people prepare for a gigantic battle with the nasty, militarized, heartless, corporation-backed human colonists, or “sky people.”

From The Wall Street Journal

It was the iced-over, heartless feeling that enables some people to do terrible things for what they believe are perfectly justifiable reasons.

From Literature

The caricature of corporate America is heartless indifference, but Paul Gigot and Rupert Murdoch were there for my family and me.

From The Wall Street Journal

For government officials, being called "heartless" is an occupational hazard.

From BBC

They described the comments as "horrific" and "unfathomably heartless".

From BBC