cold-heartedness
Lack of compassion
Cold-heartedness is a lack of sympathy, compassion, or emotional warmth toward others.
The term describes an indifference to suffering that most people would find callous: The cold-heartedness of his response shocked even his allies.
Someone displaying cold-heartedness may be calculating rather than cruel—simply unmoved where feeling is expected.
Total absence of compassion
- mercilessnessAbsence of compassion or clemency
- ruthlessnessLack of compassion or mercy
- crueltyDeliberate harm-causing disposition
- inhumanityExtreme cruelty toward others
brutality · harshness · remorselessness · stoniness · iciness · disregard · indifference · unconcern
Lack of closeness
- aloofnessEmotional unavailability, standoffishness
- remotenessQuality of being faraway
- impassivityUnresponsiveness to stimuli
- dispassionFreedom from emotional bias
numbness · unresponsiveness · impersonality · withdrawal · coolness · reserve · frigidity · disconnection
Deliberate harm-causing disposition
- viciousnessExtreme cruelty or spite
- spitePetty malicious intent
- meannessSpiteful, unkind disposition
- sadismPleasure from inflicting pain
malevolence · vindictiveness · nastiness · ill will · hostility · animosity · vengefulness · malignity
pitilessness
Total absence of compassion
- mercilessnessAbsence of compassion or clemency
- ruthlessnessLack of compassion or mercy
- crueltyDeliberate harm-causing disposition
inhumanity · brutality · harshness · remorselessness · stoniness · iciness · disregard · indifference · unconcern · insensitivity
emotional distance
Lack of closeness
- aloofnessEmotional unavailability, standoffishness
- remotenessQuality of being faraway
- impassivityUnresponsiveness to stimuli
dispassion · numbness · unresponsiveness · impersonality · withdrawal · coolness · reserve · frigidity · disconnection · unavailability
cruelty
Deliberate harm-causing disposition
- viciousnessExtreme cruelty or spite
- spitePetty malicious intent
- meannessSpiteful, unkind disposition
sadism · malevolence · vindictiveness · nastiness · ill will · hostility · animosity · vengefulness · malignity · hatefulness
- insensitivityhard-heartedness, inconsideration, indifference, insensitivity, tactlessness
- crueltycruelty, brutality, inhumanity, viciousness, ruthlessness
- malicemalice, ill will, spite, malevolence, malignity
cold-heartednesswarm-heartedness
Quality of genuine caring
tenderness · compassion · warmth · empathy · soft-heartedness
cold-heartednessbenevolence
Disposition toward doing good
kindness · charity · generosity · humaneness · benignity