1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
an insensitive remark about his deceased wife that was incredibly rude
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in numb
lacking in sensation or feeling
fingers rendered insensitive by the cold
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insensitive
There, dysfunctional guests and hotel staff reveal new sides of themselves, all the while skewering insensitive tourists.
—
Devorah Lev-Tov, AFAR Media, 14 Feb. 2025
In more recent years, comedy has come under fire for being insensitive and inciting scandals.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
On Española Island, some individuals do more than just peck at wounds to drink blood—they have been seen persistently pecking at the insensitive tail tips of large marine iguanas, removing centimeters of actual tissue in the process.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Anything from a past stance your company took to a past ad that hasn’t aged well might be considered insensitive today.
—Jason Miller, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Devorah Lev-Tov, AFAR Media, 14 Feb. 2025
In more recent years, comedy has come under fire for being insensitive and inciting scandals.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
On Española Island, some individuals do more than just peck at wounds to drink blood—they have been seen persistently pecking at the insensitive tail tips of large marine iguanas, removing centimeters of actual tissue in the process.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Anything from a past stance your company took to a past ad that hasn’t aged well might be considered insensitive today.
—Jason Miller, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
-
There’s an undercurrent of electricity between her and the ruthless cartel leader (Salma Hayek) using her as a bargaining chip, but Stone is too cowardly to let the hotties smooch, squandering the only energy Lively was able to muster for this potent strain of mess.—
Lizzie Logan,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
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To his critics, his centralization of power and ruthless purge of opponents put Malaysia on an authoritarian trajectory.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Similarly, the seat was quite firm and left us numb after longer runs.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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And then all of a sudden, my lips go completely numb.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In Season 4 of the Max comedy (streaming weekly on Thursdays), Deborah (Jean Smart) is struggling to find her ground amid a merciless feud with head writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder).—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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The math of those slices off the point totals was merciless: Should a big prep draw a field of less than five, a 50-point second place was reduced to a 25-point place showing, which can mean the difference between getting a stall in the Churchill gate and not getting to race.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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However, the consensus is that the chaotic manner in which the recent US foreign assistance cuts were implemented was needlessly callous.—
Jennifer Lotito,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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This callous action will especially hurt working families in our state, as Florida leads the nation with 4.6 million people enrolled in ACA health care coverage.—
Roxey Nelson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Scooter Gennett was asleep Saturday night when a buddy called.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Whether Chloe is asleep, in the bath, or being nursed—Milkshake will undoubtedly be nearby.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Rolling Stone also previously uncovered a pattern of abusive behavior dating back to Combs’ time at Howard University.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
5 May 2025
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As fans saw in the first movie, Faith and Hope rebelliously set their house on fire to kill their abusive father and run away.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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Tabo turns, in his mother’s eyes, into a cold and unfeeling stone.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2025
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So much modern football is mechanical and unfeeling; Joao Felix is loose and breezy.—
Jack Lang,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 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
Cite this Entry
“Insensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensitive. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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