Coldhearted

Coldhearted is an English adjective describing a person who shows little warmth, sympathy, or concern for others. It denotes emotional insensitivity or a lack of empathy in behavior or decision-making. The term can refer to a recurrent pattern of conduct or to a single action deemed callous, unfeeling, or lacking compassion.

Usage tends to be critical or pejorative, applied to individuals, groups, or actions. Coldhearted implies deliberate disregard for others’ welfare and an absence of emotional warmth, though it does not necessarily indicate violence. The term often conveys moral judgment and can appear in media, literature, or everyday speech.

Relationship to related terms: it overlaps with callous, unsympathetic, and stoic, but emphasizes a lack of emotional warmth rather than mere repression or cruelty. It is distinct from cold-blooded, which stresses calculation or ruthlessness, and from heartless, which foregrounds a lack of warmth rather than intentional indifference.

Etymology and usage notes: coldhearted is a compound of cold and heart and is widely used in contemporary English. It remains informal and often carries a negative or accusatory tone, so it is typically chosen for evaluative description rather than neutral analysis.