unsympathetic

adjective

un·​sym·​pa·​thet·​ic ˌən-ˌsim-pə-ˈthe-tik 

: not given to, marked by, or arising from sympathy : not sympathetic

an unsympathetic bystander

an unsympathetic review

unsympathetically

ˌən-ˌsim-pə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

commenting unsympathetically

Synonyms of unsympathetic

• ruthless
• merciless
• stony

Examples of unsympathetic in a Sentence

gave them an unsympathetic look and pointed out that they'd brought the problem on themselves

an aloof and unsympathetic man who does not engage in small talk

a bohemian artist who found the unsympathetic environment of the small town too much to bear

an unsympathetic reaction to her proposal to ban trans fats from the company cafeteria

Recent Examples on the Web

But the global fame that Back to Black brought the London songstress only seemed to exacerbate her issues with addiction, and broadcast them to the world via a cruelly unsympathetic tabloid media ecosystem. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 29 June 2026

Neither overly sentimental nor unsympathetic, Albert and Allen Hughes craft realistic characters with more nuance and complexity than traditional gangster films. — Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026

The administration has been unsympathetic to Ukraine. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

The litigation made both of them look unsympathetic, Lovell said. — Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 14 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unsympathetic

• aeromagnetic
• antiemetic
• antipathetic
• apologetic
• biogenetic
• biomimetic
• biosynthetic
• cytogenetic
• diagenetic
• diamagnetic
• diaphoretic
• epigenetic