heart of stone
heart of stone (metaphor)
/ˈhɑrt əv ˈstoʊn/
Meaning
- Lacking empathy, kindness, or compassion.
- Emotionally cold or unfeeling toward others.
- Having a cruel or harsh attitude toward someone’s pain or suffering.
Example Sentences
- The manager’s decision to fire his employees without any explanation showed his heart of stone.
- Despite hearing the dog’s cries for help, the man with a heart of stone just walked away.
- She was so indifferent to her friend’s problems; it seemed like she had a heart of stone.
- The cruel dictator ruled his country with a heart of stone, ignoring the suffering of his people.
- The judge’s refusal to reduce the punishment made people feel she had a heart of stone.
Origin and History
The phrase “heart of stone” traces its origin to biblical texts. The earliest reference appears in the King James Bible (1611), particularly in Ezekiel 36:26: “I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” In this context, the term metaphorically contrasts emotional coldness (stone) with compassion and humanity (flesh), symbolizing transformation through divine intervention.
Beyond religious texts, “heart of stone” became prominent in English literature during the 16th and 17th centuries. William Shakespeare’s works, such as Measure for Measure (1604), use similar imagery to portray emotional detachment or cruelty, embedding the metaphor in the cultural and linguistic fabric of the time.
The idiom gained widespread use during the 18th and 19th centuries, appearing in prose and poetry to signify emotional rigidity. Over time, it evolved into a popular way to describe people who lack empathy or compassion.
Synonyms
- cold-hearted
- hard-hearted
Variants
- a stone-cold heart
- hard as a rock
- hardened heart
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