heartless
gb/hˈɑɹtləs/ us/hˈɑɹtləs/
B2
English
~ 9300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
cruel and showing no sympathy
Not caring about other people’s pain or feelings; very cruel.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is heartless
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "heartless" with "careless". "Heartless" means cruel and not caring about other people’s feelings, while "careless" means not being careful or paying enough attention. They also sometimes use "heartless" to mean "without energy" or "discouraged"; in that case, "disheartened" or "discouraged" is correct, not "heartless".
Synonyms
cruel (General word for causing pain or suffering, sometimes without the strong emotional coldness that "heartless" suggests.)
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callous (Suggests being emotionally hardened or numb, often over a long time, not easily moved by others’ pain.)
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unfeeling (Emphasizes the lack of emotional response more than active meanness.)
Antonyms
kind (Shows care and concern for others, the opposite of the cold attitude in "heartless".)
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compassionate (Emphasizes actively feeling and showing concern for another’s suffering, which a heartless person does not do.)
Collocations
heartless person
|heartless act
|heartless decision
|seem heartless
|cold and heartless
|utterly heartless
Themes
emotions
|character
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Leaving his sick dog alone like that was completely heartless.
- She made a heartless remark about the victims of the accident.
- The company’s heartless decision to fire people by email shocked everyone.
- He’s not heartless; he just has trouble showing his emotions.
- The film shows how a heartless system can destroy ordinary lives.
Learner examples
- It was heartless to laugh at the crying child.
- Many people thought the new law was heartless.
- Her boss is heartless and never says thank you.
- I felt that his words were very heartless.
- Only a heartless person could ignore that poor man.
Grammar
Dictionary form
heartless
IPA
GB/hˈɑɹtləs/
US/hˈɑɹtləs/
Syllables & stress
heart - less (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (heart)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: heartless
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.