English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
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adj

heartless

HAHT-lihs
adj
1
Lacking compassion or feeling for others; cruel.
"It was heartless of him to fire her the day before her wedding."
"Only a heartless landlord would evict a family in winter."

How to Use Heartless

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCold and cruel, showing no sympathy for other people's suffering.

Common pairings
a heartless act heartless treatment utterly heartless

Word Forms

more heartless comparative, most heartless superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

It was _____ of him to fire her the day before her wedding.

Etymology

From Old English heortlēas, literally "without a heart" — originally could also mean cowardly, though the "cruel, unfeeling" sense is now dominant.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial