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
Relevance
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 desensitized
Although today’s audiences might be more desensitized to such gruesome scenes thanks to hyperrealistic special effects in modern horror movies, and the commonplace spread of graphic clips online, audiences of the ‘80s were reportedly traumatized and scandalized.
—
Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
While the effects of violent media on viewers are notoriously hard to study, some evidence suggests that some audiences can become desensitized to the real-world consequences of unhealthy and violent content.
—Cynthia Chris, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
While the effects of violent media on viewers are notoriously hard to study, some evidence suggests that some audiences can become desensitized to the real-world consequences of unhealthy and violent content.
—Cynthia Chris, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desensitized
Adjective
-
Noah Thomas’s life takes a dangerous turn when a chance reunion with an old high school friend, Parker Coleman, entangles him in a ruthless crime ring.—
Jon Stojan,
Variety,
18 June 2026
-
Sean Connery first portrayed the legendary spy as a confident and ruthless Cold War warrior, while Roger Moore added camp and a gentlemanly touch to the role.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Having catalogued the Black Death’s horrifying effects, Ibn Khatima went on to outline a series of preventative measures and active treatments designed to combat this merciless scourge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
The jokes on social media will be endless, and opposing fans will be merciless.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.—
Emily Cox,
ARTnews.com,
22 May 2026
-
Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
White has defended the event against critics, including those who have called it insensitive or unsafe to host a fight at the White House during a war.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
But the post has been condemned both inside Colombia and abroad as insensitive.—
Alfie Pannell,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Watching the movie and Marcel’s fragile belief in a world so callous is to feel a surge of possibility for humanity.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
-
Kantor expresses an empathy for young people that the more callous of this year’s graduation speakers seemed to lack.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Atlas Lions also frustrated their Scottish foes with their physicality, taking down Christie, McTominay and others with a series of hard challenges that did not draw whistles.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2026
-
The Cardinals had rallied for three runs in the ninth, and Jose Fermin hit a hard grounder to Tolbert’s left.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desensitized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desensitized. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
