cold-blooded
/'kould'blʌdid/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having a body temperature that varies with the environment: Describes animals, such as reptiles and fish, whose internal body temperature is not regulated internally but changes with the surrounding temperature.
- Lacking emotion or pity; callous: Describes actions or behavior that show a deliberate and merciless lack of feeling, compassion, or remorse.
- Done in a deliberately ruthless and unemotional manner: Often used to describe violent acts committed without passion or sudden impulse, but with calm premeditation.
Usage Examples
Describing animals:
- Snakes and lizards are cold-blooded creatures.
- The biologist studied the metabolism of cold-blooded fish.
Describing behavior or character:
- The dictator was known for his cold-blooded decisions.
- It was a cold-blooded betrayal of their trust.
Describing actions:
- The murder was a cold-blooded execution.
- He spoke about the incident in a cold-blooded, factual way.
Advanced Usage
- "in cold blood": This adverbial phrase means to do something, especially a violent act, in a deliberate, premeditated, and unemotional way.
- The victim was shot in cold blood.
- The term can be used figuratively in non-violent contexts to describe a severe lack of emotional warmth.
- Her cold-blooded analysis of the layoffs shocked the staff.
Variants and Related Words
- Cold-bloodedly (adverb): In a cold-blooded manner.
- He cold-bloodedly calculated the risks.
- Cold-bloodedness (noun): The quality or state of being cold-blooded.
- The cold-bloodedness of the crime horrified the community.
Synonyms
- For animals: Ectothermic, poikilothermic.
- For behavior: Callous, heartless, merciless, ruthless, unfeeling, inhuman, pitiless, calculating.
Antonyms
- For animals: Warm-blooded, endothermic.
- For behavior: Compassionate, merciful, kind-hearted, emotional, passionate.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- In cold blood: As mentioned in 'Advanced Usage', this is the primary idiom directly related to the word.
- The historical account described how the prisoners were killed in cold blood.
Adjective
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having cold blood (in animals whose body temperature is not internally regulated)
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without compunction or human feeling
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in cold blood
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cold-blooded killing
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insensate destruction
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