iron-heartedadj.
/ˌʌɪənˈhɑːtᵻd/, U.S. /ˌaɪ(ə)rnˈhɑrdəd/ Extremely hard-hearted; unfeeling, pitiless; cruel.There is no equivalent in the original of quot. 1570, a macaronic Latin and German sermon for the second Sunday in Advent.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > hard-heartedness > [adjective]
hard hearteOE
hateleOE
hard-heartedc1225
cruel1297
dure1412
flinty1536
heartless1556
flint-hearted1560
stone-hearted?1569
stony-hearted1569
iron-hearted1570
steel-hearted1571
unbowelled1592
blunt1594
flintful1596
flint-heart1596
brassy1600
unfeeling1600
cold-blooded1602
cold-hearteda1616
flinty-hearted1629
callous1647
unsympathizing1735
cool-hearted1748
pebble-hearted1816
unsympathetic1823
cold1849
the mind > emotion > absence of emotion > [adjective] > callous or hard-hearted
hard hearteOE
steelena1000
hardOE
hard-heartedc1225
stony?c1230
yhert1340
dure1412
hardedc1425
induratec1425
stonishc1450
hardenedc1480
steely1508
flinty1536
endured1540
stiff-stomached1540
heartless1556
indured1558
flint-hearted1560
iron1561
marble1565
stone-hearted?1569
stony-hearted1569
iron-hearted1570
steel-hearted1571
rocky?1578
brawned1582
flinted1582
padded1583
obdure?1590
brawny1596
flintful1596
flint-heart1596
steeled1600
cauterized1603
indurated1604
flinty-hearted1629
ahenean1630
dedolent1633
brawny-hearteda1639
hard-grained1643
callous1647
upsitten1682
seared1684
petrified1720
calloused1746
coreless1813
pebble-hearted1816
hard-shelled1848
hard-plucked1857
steel trap1921
1570 T. Becon Luther's Very Comfortable & Necessary Serm. sig. D.iiiv What punishment God hath prouided for such yron harted infidels.
a1618 J. Sylvester Hymn of Alms in tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Diuine Weekes & Wks. (1621) 1032 Such Gold-heaped Iron-hearted Wretches As to the Poor impart no part of Riches.
1654 T. Warren Vnbeleevers 21 The most iron-hearted sinner.
1726 A. Pope tr. Homer Odyssey V. xxiv. 80 And iron-hearted Heroes melt in tears.
a1780 J. Harris Philol. Inq. (1781) iii. v. 308 Did she mitigate these immitigable, these iron-hearted Men?
1809 Port Folio Aug. 143 Butler's iron-hearted crew Doom'd to the flames the weak submitting few.
1847 W. H. Prescott Hist. Conquest Peru II. iv. ii. 126 Finding that no impression was to be made on his iron-hearted conqueror.
1912 Times 28 Aug. 3/6 The entire blame for the refusal of a grant is put on the iron-hearted Treasury.
1950 ‘R. Macdonald’ Drowning Pool i. 4 I am rhinoceros-skinned and iron-hearted.
2007 A. Theroux Laura Warholic xxi. 302 The fiendishly powerful, absolutely corrupt,..iron-hearted, unconscionable pharmaceutical companies.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1570