Synonyms of heartless
107 similar words · 54 opposite words
Another word for heartless is severe. Other synonyms of heartless are cold-eyed, grim, harsh, cruel and marble-hearted. The opposite of heartless is heartful.
Synonyms and similar words for heartless
adjectiveWithout feeling, emotion, or concern for others; uncaring; cruel.
- cold-heartedWithout sympathy, feeling or compassion; callous or heartless.
- uncordialNot cordial.
- brutalHarsh; unrelenting.
- callousEmotionally hardened; unfeeling and indifferent to the suffering/feelings of others.
- coldWithout compassion; heartless; ruthless.
- insensate formalUnfeeling, heartless, cruel, insensitive.
- hardhanded
- cold-eyedThat looks coldly or dispassionately; having a fierce or aloof mein.
- cruelHarsh; severe.
- dour
- thick-skinned
- flint-heartedSynonym of hardhearted.
- forbiddingAppearing to be threatening, unfriendly or potentially unpleasant.
- frostyHaving an aloof or inhospitable manner.
- grimDismal and gloomy, cold and forbidding.
- hardSevere, harsh, unfriendly, brutal.
- hard-boiledOf a person, especially a detective, callous and unsentimental.
- hardenedUnfeeling; pitiless; callous.
- hardheartedLacking in compassion; cold and pitiless.
- harshSevere or cruel.
- humorlessLacking humor or levity; serious; not funny, amusing, amused, or lighthearted.
- icyCharacterized by coldness of manner; frigid; cold.
- iron-heartedSynonym of hardhearted.
- insensitiveNot expressing normal emotional feelings; cold; tactless; undiplomatic.
- marble-heartedEmotionally cold, cruel, and unfeeling.
- rigorous
- rockheartedSynonym of hardhearted.
- severeStrict or harsh.
- stern
- stoneheartedSynonym of hardhearted.
- stonyOf a person, lacking warmth and emotion.
- stonyheartedCruel, compassionless, discompassionate, as if having a heart made of stone.
- strictSevere in discipline.
- toughStrict, not lenient.
- unsympatheticNot sympathetic; ill-disposed.
- unmovedNot affected emotionally, or not showing emotion.
adjectiveWithout a physical heart.
- acardiacLacking a heart.
adjectiveListless, unenthusiastic.
- spiritlessLacking energy, drive, motivation or emotion. Enervated.
- unheartyNot hearty.
adjectiveWithout courage; fearful, cowardly.
- spinelessCowardly, uncourageous; lacking character.
- gutlessCowardly; lacking courage or morals.
- backboneless figuratively
- base
- soft
- bitch-ass derogatory
- boneless BritishLacking strength, courage, or resolve.
- caitiffEspecially despicable; cowardly.
- candy-assed Canada, USCowardly; timid; wimpy.
- chickenCowardly.
- chicken-heartedNot brave; lacking courage; cowardly.
- chicken-liveredCowardly.
- chickenshit slang, vulgar
- couragelessDevoid of courage; fearful, cowardly.
- cowardlyShowing cowardice; lacking in courage; weakly fearful.
- cowardy BritishCowardly.
- cowheartedCowardly.
- cowish
- cravenUnwilling to fight; lacking even the rudiments of courage; extremely cowardly.
- cravenheartedCowardly.
- cringey
- dastardMeanly shrinking from danger, cowardly, dastardly.
- dastardlyIn the manner of a dastard; marked by cowardice; pusillanimous.
- dickless figuratively, slang
- dough-faced US
- faintheartedFaint of heart; irresolute; fearful.
- fearful
- fraidy US
- gizzardless figuratively
- invertebrateCowardly, uncourageous; lacking character.
- hen-heartedCowardly; timid.
- kiasiUnwilling to take a risk for fear that something bad or unfavorable will happen; cowardly, overly cautious and...
- lily-livered figurativelyCowardly, lacking courage.
- liver-facedLily-livered; cowardly.
- low-hearted
- milk-liveredCowardly; timorous; lacking bravery.
- mouse-heartedCowardly; timid.
- mousy
- nerveless
- nutless
- pigeon-liveredCowardly.
- poltroonishResembling a poltroon; cowardly.
- poor-spirited
- punkCowardly.
- pusillanimousShowing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible timidity.
- pussylike
- ratlikeResembling or characteristic of a rat, whether physically or (in behavioral terms) cunning, disloyal, or cowardly.
- rabbit-heartedTimid; cowardly.
- recrayed
- retromingent
- sissy derogatory
- timidLacking in courage or confidence.
- timorous
- weak-kneed
- white-hearted
- white-livered
- wimpishCharacteristic of a wimp.
- yellow
- yellow-bellied
- cowardish obsoleteCowardly.
- invalorous obsoleteLacking valour; cowardly.
- liver-hearted archaicCowardly.
- miching US, dialectalHiding; skulking; cowardly or freeloading.
- milky obsolete
- niddering archaicSynonym of nithing (“cowardly, dastardly; notoriously evil or wicked; infamous”).
- nidering archaic
- niding archaic
- nithing archaicCowardly, dastardly.
Opposite of heartless
adjectiveWithout feeling, emotion, or concern for others; uncaring; cruel.
adjectiveListless, unenthusiastic.
- adiaphroistic
- apathetic
- apathisticalApathetic; unemotional.
- blaséUnimpressed, indifferent, especially because of overfamiliarity.
- blithe
- deaf
- cool
- shiftless
- dispassionateNot showing, and not affected by, emotion, bias, or prejudice.
- dull
- enervatedWeakened, debilitated or deprived of strength or vitality.
- gallionic
- halfheartedLacking full energy, effort, commitment, or resolve.
- impassiveHaving, or revealing, no emotion.
- ineffervescibleNot effervescible.
- insouciantCasually unconcerned; carefree, indifferent, nonchalant.
- indifferentAmbivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic.
- insensibleIncapable of mental feeling; indifferent.
- jadedBored or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having been overexposed to, or having consumed too much of something.
- languidOf a person or their actions, character, etc.: lacking drive, emotion, or enthusiasm; apathetic, listless, spiritless...
- languorousLacking energy, spirit, liveliness or vitality; languid, lackadaisical.
- lethargicIndifferent, apathetic.
- listlessLacking energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness.
- lackadaisicalShowing no interest, vigor, determination, or enthusiasm.
- lotophagousRelating to the Lotophagi (lotus eaters).
- lukewarmUnenthusiastic (about a proposal or an idea).
- mehApathetic; unenthusiastic.
- mopeyGiven to moping; in a depressed condition, low in spirits; lackadaisical.
- nonchalant
- nonplussed USUnaffected, unfazed; unimpressed.
- otioseOf a person, possessing a bored indolence.
- phlegmaticNot easily excited to action or passion; calm; sluggish.
- pococuranteApathetic, indifferent or nonchalant.
- spiritlessLacking energy, drive, motivation or emotion. Enervated.
- supineReluctant to take action due to indifference or moral weakness; apathetic or passive towards something.
- tepidUninterested; exhibiting little passion or eagerness; lukewarm.
- torpidLazy, lethargic or apathetic.
- unarousedNot aroused.
- uncaringCharacterized by a lack of care; not caring.
- unconcernedIndifferent and having no interest; aloof.
- unenthusiasticWithout enthusiasm; unexcited.
- unimpressibleNot impressible; not sensitive; apathetic.
- uninterestedNot interested; indifferent, not concerned.
- unlivelyNot lively.
- unmovedNot affected emotionally, or not showing emotion.
- untouchedNot influenced, affected or swayed.
- unzealousNot zealous.
- world-wearyBored with life.
- Laodicean archaicHalf-hearted or apathetic, especially with regards to religion or politics.
- torpedinous archaicStupefying; dull; torpid.
adjectiveWithout courage; fearful, cowardly.
- dauntlessInvulnerable to fear or intimidation.
Meaning of heartless
- adjective Without feeling, emotion, or concern for others; uncaring; cruel.
- adjective Without a physical heart.
- adjective Listless, unenthusiastic.
heartless in other languages
Questions about synonyms of heartless
- What is another word for heartless?
- Heartless has 107 synonyms on Word.ws, such as severe, cold-eyed, grim, harsh, cruel, marble-hearted, brutal and forbidding.
- What is the opposite of heartless?
- The opposite of heartless is heartful.
- What does heartless mean?
- Heartless means without feeling, emotion, or concern for others; uncaring; cruel.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: heartless (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of heartless.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/heartless. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.