1
as in oppressive
difficult to endure
kept the prisoners in criminally inhuman conditions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
an inhuman indifference to the sufferings of other human beings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a classic sociological study showing just how inhuman an individual can become when given absolute power over another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inhuman
The draconian rules imposed upon women and girls in Afghanistan are strictly enforced with those objecting being threatened, beaten, detained and subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment in detention.
—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
These are the athletes of eSports, and their competitions and inhuman precision prove to be just as thrilling.
—Adam Rumanek, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2025
The idea the director had proposed to Laura, once they’d been put in touch by a photography student of his at Parsons for whom Laura had done a bit of writing, was to shoot the film from the vantage point of an inhuman and ubiquitous force.
—Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Mahmoud described the conditions as inhuman and unprofessional, saying he was shoved and kicked by prison guards and police inside the Russian Compound, where he was held.
—Leila Fadel, NPR, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inhuman
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
These are the athletes of eSports, and their competitions and inhuman precision prove to be just as thrilling.
—Adam Rumanek, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2025
The idea the director had proposed to Laura, once they’d been put in touch by a photography student of his at Parsons for whom Laura had done a bit of writing, was to shoot the film from the vantage point of an inhuman and ubiquitous force.
—Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Mahmoud described the conditions as inhuman and unprofessional, saying he was shoved and kicked by prison guards and police inside the Russian Compound, where he was held.
—Leila Fadel, NPR, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inhuman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhuman
Adjective
-
More than 60 years ago, my parents fled Cuba for the United States, seeking freedom from an oppressive regime that dictated what businesses produced and how products were priced.—
Carlos Cubelo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2025
-
The film follows a 40-year-old widowed nurse named Mahnaz, who is struggling with a rebellious son and other complications in a heavily oppressive patriarchal context.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The ruthless, physical Panthers will get a strong Oilers squad, with Ekholm back on the back end, Skinner emphatically taking back his net from Calvin Pickard, and both McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on top of their games.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
As with everything Banksy, siting and context are chief among the avenues of investigation into the man’s intent and into his his hilariously ruthless nocturnal execution of his art.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
As the state on Thursday summed up the brutal details that made up the prosecution’s case, a relative walked out of the courtroom with a loud scream, causing Petrone to tell the jury to ignore the outburst.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
-
Here lies the brutal dilemma of change: Leaders see systems; people feel emotions.—
Sahar Andrade,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Of the treaty’s three American signers—John Adams, John Jay and Benjamin Franklin—Franklin was said to have taken the harshest line against the loyalists.—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 June 2025
-
Instead of internalising every harsh comment, try reframing it as information about their inner world rather than a reflection of your worth.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Heat’s roller-coaster season has come to a merciless end.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
This time, his assignment takes him to Serbia, as he is tasked with assassinating the merciless General Mile Valstoria (Peter Linka).—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
The reason Evin is infamous is because of its terribly cruel high security detention centers that are poorly supervised by the Prison Chief.—
Jeff Kaufman,
Time,
30 May 2025
-
But then perhaps that is her unsatisfying but depressingly undeniable point: there is no challenging minds this small, behaviors this cruel, spirits this mean.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
There are powerful levers to pull if Trump chooses, like increasing US military aid or imposing tough new sanctions, such as those overwhelmingly supported in the US Senate.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
-
This is a time for doing the tough, often unglamorous job of making the city function for all New Yorkers.—
Scott Stringer,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
There are other objects of worship from the days when Japan’s Christians had to hide from vicious persecution, including a ceramic bottle of holy water from Nakaenoshima, an island where Hidden Christians were martyred in the 1620s.—
Foster Klug,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
-
Years before the Kendrick Lamar and Drake imbroglio, Pusha T shared his own vicious diss track against the Canadian hip-hop superstar.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inhuman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhuman. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share