heartless

USAGE SUMMARY

"heartless" is a perfectly correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it to describe an individual or a situation as being cold and uncaring. For example: "His heartless actions shocked everyone in the room."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Crosby, who faced criticism for devising a heartless campaign that focused on the "long-term economic plan" and how the Tories offered competence versus Labour chaos, will now be praised for running a highly disciplined campaign.

The Guardian

As part of list of justifications condemned as heartless by family representatives, an official has told the potential donor: "You come from an area harshly affected by the civil war in this country.

The Guardian

En route, she meets a travelling salesman, Charles Drouet, who soon releases her from the drudgery of machine-work in the heartless city by making her his mistress.

The Guardian - Books

Listen to Your Drums, Your Love Listen to Heartless Listen to Werkin Girls Listen to Hard To Love by Arlissa vs Nas Listen to the Mother We Share Listen to Don't Save Me Listen to Octopus Listen to The Answer Listen to Can't Live With the World Listen to The John Wayne Listen to Best of Friends Listen to Wraith Listen to Husbands Listen to Wicked Games Listen to Another Love.

The Guardian - Music

Warhol, so often seen as a heartless observer of celebrity and sleaze, carefully chose it and turned it into a print to make that evidence permanent, indelible, unforgettable.

The Guardian - Arts

Tired of unreliable narrators and heartless novels that provide more entertainment for the author than the reader, there is a longing to receive news that stays news, as Ezra Pound defined literature.

The Guardian - Books

Clive Palmer said a new election was "not uncalled for" because the budget was "a disaster for Australians" containing measures that were "heartless and cruel".

The Guardian

She said allowing citizenship to be stripped at the minister's discretion was a great concern, given the government's "heartless" response to the plight of the Rohingya refugees.

The Guardian

That's what Hirst has become – the international symbol for all that is heartless and pretentious.

The Guardian - Arts

At a stroke this heartless person – OK, it was me – stole from him everything that was best about his birthday: a night of anticipation, the breakfast-time delirium of the unwrapping, and (this was what upset him most) his pleasure at making his parents pleased by being pleased himself.

The Guardian - Opinion

Democrats say no, it is because Republicans are too heartless to care about the middle classes, and because unpatriotic billionaires send jobs overseas.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "heartless" to describe actions, decisions, or systems that demonstrate a complete disregard for the well-being or feelings of others. For example, "The company's heartless decision to lay off hundreds of employees just before the holidays sparked widespread outrage."

Common error

Avoid using "heartless" as a knee-jerk reaction in situations where disagreement or disapproval is present. Reserve it for situations that genuinely reflect a severe lack of empathy. Misusing the word can dilute its impact and make your writing seem hyperbolic.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "heartless" is as an adjective, modifying nouns to describe someone or something as lacking compassion or feeling. Ludwig AI confirms this through numerous examples where "heartless" directly precedes nouns to characterize their nature.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Heartless" is a commonly used adjective that describes a lack of compassion or feeling for others. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and frequent usage in various contexts, primarily in News & Media and Formal & Business settings. While there are many synonyms like "callous" or "cruel", "heartless" is particularly effective in expressing strong disapproval. When using "heartless", remember to reserve it for situations that genuinely reflect a severe lack of empathy to avoid diluting its impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

callous

Direct synonym emphasizing insensitivity and disregard for others' feelings.

cruel

Highlights the element of causing pain or suffering, often deliberately.

merciless

Focuses on the absence of pity or forgiveness.

uncompassionate

Directly states the lack of compassion.

unsympathetic

Emphasizes the inability to understand or share the feelings of another.

cold-hearted

Implies a lack of warmth and affection.

devoid of feeling

More explicitly describes the absence of emotion.

lacking empathy

Specific focus on the absence of understanding and sharing another's feelings.

hard-hearted

Similar to cold-hearted, implying emotional toughness and insensitivity.

without remorse

Focuses on the absence of regret or guilt for one's actions.

FAQs

How to use "heartless" in a sentence?

Use "heartless" to describe someone or something lacking compassion or feeling for others. For example, "The villain's actions were truly heartless."

What can I say instead of "heartless"?

You can use alternatives like "callous", "cruel", or "uncompassionate" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Which is correct, "heartless" or "unhearted"?

"Heartless" is the correct and commonly used word. "Unhearted" is not a standard English word.

What's the difference between "heartless" and "insensitive"?

"Heartless" implies a complete lack of compassion, while "insensitive" suggests a lack of awareness or consideration for others' feelings, but not necessarily a complete absence of compassion.