Heartless


[hahrt-lis] /ˈhɑrt lɪs/

adjective
1.
unfeeling; unkind; unsympathetic; harsh; cruel:
heartless words; a heartless ruler.
2.
Archaic. lacking courage or enthusiasm; spiritless; disheartened.
/ˈhɑːtlɪs/
adjective
1.
unkind or cruel; hard-hearted
adj.

Old English heortleas “dispirited, dejected;” see heart + -less. In Middle English with expanded senses “lacking in courage; foolish; listless; half-hearted; sluggish.” Sense of “callous, cruel” is not certainly attested before Shelley used it in 1816. Literal meaning “lacking a heart, lifeless” (mid-15c.) is rare. Related: Heartlessly; heartlessness.

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