as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
having lived through the horrors of war, the soldiers had seemingly become desensitized to virtually all human suffering
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desensitized
Adjective
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Confronting Iran’s ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve, and strategic clarity.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
21 June 2025 -
Michael Fassbender plays the deceased Apple guru — a flawed, ruthless, but ultimately compassionate soul.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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But in the face of an increasingly merciless healthcare system, the battered team must put aside their differences and pull together to save lives.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2025
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The film is cold-bloodedly whimsical, asking the audience to root for a merciless man who endeavors, ever so incrementally, to understand some deeper human truths.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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This insensitive demand is also strengthened by the impracticality of alternatives.—
Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
20 June 2025
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Another 580 million have type 2 diabetes, which arises when the hormone insulin, which controls blood sugar levels, is in short supply or the body’s cells become insensitive to it.—
Smithsonian Magazine,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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The Manchester-by-the-Sea health board has thumbed its nose at voters with callous indifference.—
Peter Brennan,
Boston Herald,
26 May 2025
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Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, your votes in the coming days will decide whether Florida chooses compassion and common sense — or callous disregard.—
Joseph MacBeth,
Sun Sentinel,
21 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Desensitized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desensitized. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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