inhuman

adjective

in·​hu·​man (ˌ)in-ˈhyü-mən 

-ˈyü-

1

a

: lacking pity, kindness, or mercy : savage

an inhuman tyrant

b

: cold, impersonal

… his usual quiet, almost inhuman courtesy.

—F. Tennyson Jesse

c

: not worthy of or conforming to the needs of human beings

inhuman living conditions

2

: of or suggesting a nonhuman class of beings

inhumanly adverb

inhumanness

(ˌ)in-ˈhyü-mən-nəs 

-ˈyü-

noun

Synonyms of inhuman

• oppressive
• harsh
• brutal
• tough
• searing
• cruel
• hard
• severe
• rough
• grim
• murderous

Examples of inhuman in a Sentence

He let out an inhuman moan.

She had an almost inhuman desire to succeed.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the screams of pain were unmistakable, picked up a number of times by the microphones placed around the course, which usually deliver the evocative whooshing sounds of skiers hurtling down the slopes at speeds that feel inhuman. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026

Indeed, compared with the realistically creased faces and hangdog stares of the Cubs, the Boston fans behind them are closer to grotesques, an inhuman crush of caricatures. —Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026

The synth-heavy soundtrack is back, nodding to the greed-is-good eighties while evoking both an ultra-contemporary cool and an inhuman chill. —Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026

Rojas was never treated by a physician while at El Helicoide, where human rights groups have denounced cases of cruel, inhuman treatment and torture. —Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English inhumayne, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French inhumain, from Latin inhumanus, from in- + humanus human

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for inhuman

• acumen
• albumen
• albumin
• bitumen
• cerumen
• curcumin
• illumine
• nonhuman
• subhuman
• crewman
• crewmen
• cumin

Kids Definition

inhuman

adjective

in·​hu·​man (ˈ)in-ˈhyü-mən 

-ˈyü-

1

a

: lacking pity or kindness : savage

b

: lacking human warmth : impersonal

c

: not fit for human needs

inhuman conditions

2

: unlike what is typically human

an inhuman cry

inhumanly adverb

inhumanness noun