heartless

adjective

heart·​less ˈhärt-ləs How to pronounce heartless (audio)
1
archaic : spiritless
2
: lacking feeling : cruel
heartlessly adverb
heartlessness noun

Examples of heartless in a Sentence

a heartless boss who would fire people for missing work, even if they were sick as a dog a heartless enemy that takes no prisoners
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Though mean-spirited, the jester Rigoletto — Verdi’s hapless, vengeful hunchback — wins our hearts as the outsider whom a heartless world so often abuses. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025 The heartless Chevy driver ran Cifuni over, dragging her the wrong way down a one-way street before crashing into two other vehicles and then running off. John Annese, New York Daily News, 26 May 2025 Letscher, so unlike his character, played the baddie so well: cold, calculated, and heartless. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 May 2025 Such a bird’s eye view of existence, however, can lead to extremely problematic lines of thought that are heartless at best, and actively eugenicist at worst. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for heartless

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heartless was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Heartless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartless. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

heartless

adjective
heart·​less ˈhärt-ləs How to pronounce heartless (audio)
heartlessly adverb
heartlessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on heartless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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