In Cold Blood - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT in cold blood /ɪn koʊld bləd/ IPA guide

Something done in cold blood is done without emotion. Murderers are often described as acting in cold blood.

Love and hate are both described in terms of heat, and a lack of emotion is considered cold. So if something is done in cold blood, it is done with no emotion whatsoever. Often, this phrase is used for actions that are somewhat inhuman. There are many descriptions such as "He gunned down the innocents in cold blood." This idiom is so popular that writer Truman Capote entitled his famous crime novel about an unexplained murder of a rural Kansas family, In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences.

Definitions of in cold blood

adverb in a cold unemotional manner synonyms: coldly

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘in cold blood'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family

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