Dictionary

cold-blooded en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈkoʊldˈblʌd.ɪd/ (US)

Etymology

From cold blood + -ed.

Meanings

1. Having an unregulated body temperature; ectothermic.
   • “Dead animals radiate heat,” he said. “When you take one down, you can feel it pouring from the wounds. But not this thing.” / “What does that mean?” she asked. / “Cold-blooded maybe, or colder-blooded than we’re used to.” / “Might explain why the heat sensors have trouble picking them up,” Danielle said. 2010, Graham Brown, chapter 35, in Black Rain: A Thriller, New York, N.Y.: Dell, →ISBN, page 344:
2. (figuratively) Lacking emotion or compunction.
   • No Spaniard is ever put out, although he maddens in a moment at the slightest personal affront, for blood boils without fire, “la sangre hierve sin fuego.” He takes these things coolly, which more phlegmatic, colder-blooded foreigners seldom do. 1845, “[Preliminary Remarks.] Inns.—The Fonda—Posada—Venta.”, in A Hand-Book for Travellers in Spain, and Readers at Home. Describing the Country and Cities, the Natives and Their Manners; […], part I, London: John Murray, […], page 23:
   • […] well remembering the order he had given to generals in command of the different divisions of his army, to shoot all the prisoners that fell into their hands, which had resulted in the coldest-blooded murder of the brave Fannin, and three hundred and thirty men at Goliad, on Sunday, March 27th, who were promised, if they would surrender, to be treated kindly as prisoners of war, and to be sent in vessels at once to the United States. 1872, Z[achariah] N[ehemiah] Morrell, “War.—1836.”, in Flowers and Fruits from the Wilderness; or, Thirty-Six Years in Texas and Two Winters in Honduras, Boston, Mass.: Gould and Lincoln, […]; Bryan, Tex.: Sunday-School and Colportage Board; New York, N.Y.: Sheldon and Company, page 50:
   • Here were aſſembled that great philoſopher Mr. Subtile, the coldeſt-blooded metaphyſician of the age. 1797, [Isaac D’Israeli], “A Philosophical Party. The Character of a great Philosopher.”, in Vaurien: or, Sketches of the Times: Exhibiting Views of the Philosophies, Religions, Politics, Literature, and Manners of the Age. […], volume I, London: […] T[homas] Cadell, junior, and W[illiam] Davies, […]; and J[ohn] Murray and S[amuel] Highley, […], page 50:
   • That’s what it looks like Arya’s planning to do at the campfire. For much of the scene, she’s weighing her options. She could take those guys. She could get to them before they got their swords, and she could swipe their gold and their meal. It would be something like what the Hound did to those peasants. At the time Arya was upset at him for it. But now Arya’s a cold-blooded killer. 2017 July 16, Brandon Nowalk, “Chickens and dragons come home to roost on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club:
   • Sir Wilton regarded Lady Ann as the coldest-blooded and most selfish woman in creation, and certainly she was not less selfish and was colder-blooded than he. 1891, George MacDonald, “Barbara and Her Critics”, in There and Back, Philadelphia, Pa.: David McKay, […], page 180:
   • “And as for those foolish people,” said Quicksilver, with his mischievous smile, “they are all transformed to fishes. There needed but little change, for they were already a scaly set of rascals, and the coldest-blooded beings in existence.[…]” 1851 June–July (date written), Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Miraculous Pitcher”, in A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, published November 1851 (indicated as 1852), →OCLC, page 203:
3. Of a type of horse: tall and muscular, usually good-natured and suitable for heavy work.
4. Of an engine or vehicle: difficult to start; runs poorly until warmed up.

Forms

Antonyms

warm-blooded · warm-blooded · warm-blooded

Deriveds

cold-bloodedness · cold-bloodedly

Synonyms

clinical · unmovable · dull · unemotional · phlegmatic · cold-hearted · nonemotional · reptitious · dispassionate · impassible · immovable · reptilian · nonfeeling · stolid · dead inside · nonsentimental · insensible · emotionless · emotionless · impassive · nonpassionate · alexithymic · sangfroid · unpassionate · apathistical · cold-blooded · unfeeling · unsentimental

Translations (44)

nb kaldblodig (lacking emotion or compunction) · be халаднакро́ўны (lacking emotion or compunction) · pl zimnokrwisty (lacking emotion or compunction) · cs chladnokrevný (lacking emotion or compunction) · da koldblodig (lacking emotion or compunction) · sk chladnokrvný (lacking emotion or compunction) · nl kil (lacking emotion or compunction) · pl bezlitosny (lacking emotion or compunction) · pl bezwzględny (lacking emotion or compunction) · mk ладнокрвен (lacking emotion or compunction) · ko 냉혹하다 (lacking emotion or compunction) · ro cu sânge rece (lacking emotion or compunction) · ru хладнокро́вный (lacking emotion or compunction) · de kaltblütig (lacking emotion or compunction) · gl de sangue frío (lacking emotion or compunction) · pl nieczuły (lacking emotion or compunction) · fi tunteeton (lacking emotion or compunction) · ru бесчу́вственный (lacking emotion or compunction) · id berdarah dingin (lacking emotion or compunction) · cmn 冷血 (lacking emotion or compunction) · pt de sangue frio (lacking emotion or compunction) · sh hlȁdnokr̄van (lacking emotion or compunction) · hu hidegvérű (lacking emotion or compunction) · ko 랭혹하다 (lacking emotion or compunction) · fr impitoyable (lacking emotion or compunction) · ka ცივსისხლიანი (lacking emotion or compunction) · th เย็นชา (lacking emotion or compunction) · ja 冷血な (lacking emotion or compunction) · fi kylmäverinen (lacking emotion or compunction) · es sin emoción (lacking emotion or compunction) · th ม้าเลือดเย็น (of a type of horse: tall and muscular) · sh хла̏днокр̄ван (lacking emotion or compunction) · sl hladnokrven (lacking emotion or compunction) · uk холоднокро́вний (lacking emotion or compunction) · sk studenokrvný (lacking emotion or compunction) · fi kylmäverinen (of a type of horse: tall and muscular) · sv kallblodig (lacking emotion or compunction) · bg безчу́вствен (lacking emotion or compunction) · nl koudbloedig (lacking emotion or compunction) · tr soğukkanlı (lacking emotion or compunction) · ga danartha (lacking emotion or compunction) · th เลือดเย็น (lacking emotion or compunction) · bg хладнокръ́вен (lacking emotion or compunction) · hu rideg (lacking emotion or compunction)