heartless
UK /ˈhɑːt.lɪs/ · US /ˈhɑɹt.lɪs/ adjective
- adjective Without feeling, emotion, or concern for others; uncaring; cruel. “His heartless actions and cold manner left her saddened and feeling alone.”
- adjective Without a physical heart.
- adjective (now rare) Listless, unenthusiastic.
- adjective (obsolete) Without courage; fearful, cowardly.
Synonyms
cold-hearted uncordial brutal callous cold insensate hardhanded cold-eyed cruel dour thick-skinned flint-hearted forbidding frosty grim hard hard-boiled hardened hardhearted harsh
Antonyms
hearty heartful cordial adiaphroistic apathetic apathistical blasé blithe deaf cool shiftless dispassionate
Etymology
From Middle English hertles, herteles, from Old English heortlēas (“without courage; listless”), equivalent to heart + -less. Cognate with German herzlos.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Without a heart.
- adjective Destitute of courage; spiritless; despodent.
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “heartless”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details