hard-hearted
/ˌhɑːd ˈhɑːtɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌhɑːrd ˈhɑːrtɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhärd-ˈhär-təd/ (ame, mw)
hard-hearted — adjective
1. A hard-hearted person shows no concern for other people's suffering and does not
A hard-hearted person shows no concern for other people's suffering and does not feel moved by their difficulties.
The landlord was hard-hearted and ignored the tenants' complaints about the broken heating.
predicative: be + hard-hearted (of a person in power)
Even after hearing the children's story of losing their home, the official remained hard-hearted and gave no help.
pattern: remain + hard-hearted after [emotional appeal]
Critics called the new rules hard-hearted and warned they would harm poor families.
A hard-hearted boss might fire a worker for being late once without any explanation.
Yara feared being seen as hard-hearted after she turned down the charity request.
- unfeeling
more clinical and neutral; suggests emotional numbness rather than deliberate cruelty
- cold-hearted
similar in intensity, emphasises cold emotional distance
- heartless
stronger and more critical; suggests active indifference to suffering
- pitiless
focuses on refusal to show mercy when it is expected
- compassionate
showing active care and concern for others
- kind-hearted
naturally kind and generous toward others
- sympathetic
able to share and understand others' feelings
文法句型
be + hard-hearted
a hard-hearted + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used to criticize someone in a position of power (landlord, boss, official, parent) who remains unmoved by another person's hardship. Can be used both before a noun (a hard-hearted decision) and after a linking verb (the judge was hard-hearted).