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.
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 Also in the trailer, the callous VIPs return for a masked dinner — and to make heartless wagers on the lives of the players. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 5 May 2025 This is a heartless joke to them, which is really unfortunate. Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 25 Apr. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heartless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartless. Accessed 3 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!