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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in numb
lacking in sensation or feeling
fingers rendered insensitive by the cold
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insensitive
Corporate speak feels insensitive when people are grappling with real deprivation and anxieties about the future.
—
Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
At the time of the campaign’s launch, Regent James raised concerns that some of the images used by the campaign were racially insensitive and furthered misperceptions about the impact on the Black community.
—Callie Rennison, Denver Post, 25 June 2025
The next step in permanently removing the village’s former seal, which some have said is insensitive, is a redesign of the village’s flag, which has the village’s former seal on it.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Both create a larger blast than earlier bombs while being sufficiently insensitive to survive the shock of the initial strike.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
At the time of the campaign’s launch, Regent James raised concerns that some of the images used by the campaign were racially insensitive and furthered misperceptions about the impact on the Black community.
—Callie Rennison, Denver Post, 25 June 2025
The next step in permanently removing the village’s former seal, which some have said is insensitive, is a redesign of the village’s flag, which has the village’s former seal on it.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Both create a larger blast than earlier bombs while being sufficiently insensitive to survive the shock of the initial strike.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
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Sweeney stars as Penny Jo, a South Dakota diner waitress with an appealing smile, an ingratiating stammer, a scarf in her hair, and deep reserves of ruthless ambition.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Aug. 2025
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Early in his career, Trump apprenticed himself to Roy Cohn, an unprincipled lawyer who taught the young Donald how to gain wealth and influence through ruthless bullying, profane braggadocio, opportunistic bigotry, baseless lawsuits, lying, and more lying.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As the president delivered the White House briefing, Jackson’s right arm started getting numb.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Aug. 2025
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Standing on the mountain, my legs were 80 percent numb from the waist down.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Hollywood loves a polarizing star with a merciless marketing punch that sells.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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There’s little doubt Curtis Windom perpetrated an unjustifiable evil, killing three people, including his girlfriend and her mother, shooting them in merciless fashion on Feb. 7, 1992 in Winter Garden.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The wealthy, somewhat callous protagonist (Washington here, Toshiro Mifune back in ‘63) initially balks at paying the ransom money and wiping out his business to save his friend’s son’s life.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
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Thompson's slaying sparked waves of callous praise online immediately after the shooting.—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Within 30 minutes of being picked up, Giovanni texted his mother, who had been studying for an upcoming pharmacy board exam and was asleep.—
Janelle Griffith,
People.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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The clip shows a woman—who is said to be around 6.5 feet tall—gingerly climbing over a fellow passenger who appears to be asleep in the aisle seat.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, virtually every female character is colored by the legacy of toxic males: pervy pastors, deadbeat dads, abusive boyfriends, murderous cretins.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 Aug. 2025
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In the book, Rudy is driven to become a lawyer because his abusive father hated lawyers.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As a result, this scientific approach to cooking is often derided as cold and unfeeling—the opposite of what good food is supposed to be.—
Erica Westly,
IEEE Spectrum,
23 Mar. 2010
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Then, the men had to walk around as these unfeeling, aggressive, hyper-masculine creatures.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
28 May 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 25 Aug. 2025.
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