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
Further, Barnhart said Kouros made an insensitive comment after Barnhart mentioned that a photo of her fiancé, who was killed in the line of duty, was displayed in the polling location.
—
Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Her daughters still hear racial slurs at school, and students make insensitive comments about their hair.
—ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
He’s visibly relieved when Barbara accepts the critique and apologizes for the insensitive remark.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
Some Talarico supporters rejected the idea that raising those concerns was insensitive to Blacks and women, leaving hard feelings.
—Gromer Jeffers Jr, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Her daughters still hear racial slurs at school, and students make insensitive comments about their hair.
—ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
He’s visibly relieved when Barbara accepts the critique and apologizes for the insensitive remark.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
Some Talarico supporters rejected the idea that raising those concerns was insensitive to Blacks and women, leaving hard feelings.
—Gromer Jeffers Jr, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
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Typewriters, stationery, fine-art museums, the quintessential impressionist painter—these are all associated with taste, beauty, and craft, as well as with intentionality and care, the opposite of the ruthless technological efficiency that repels many from generative AI.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Even if the film doesn’t co-sign her ideology, Ursula is the most nuanced of the ruthless killers, and Gellar is adept at digging into the character’s ambiguity and shifting priorities.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The roof is a manual Sky Slider design that feels a lot more on-brand than a numb push-button.—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
26 Mar. 2026
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Over time, your extremities go numb, which indicates the beginning of frostbite.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And the bracket carnage was swift and merciless.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
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But the quagmire is made worse by the question of what audiences want in an age of abundant at-home entertainment options, tighter budgets and general fatigue from the merciless grind of modern life.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When Bill’s older brother Henry (Barry Ward) finds the pianist in numbed solitude in his dingy apartment, Bill has canceled all his upcoming gigs, saying Scotty cannot be replaced.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Ingber also notes the numbed response to these strikes from much of the American public, something that, in part, may come from the routine nature of these drone strikes as something that the nation has become desensitized to dropping bombs on enemies.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Except every movie tends to get five buckets, while the rest of their time curdles into Tim sharing too much about his personal life as Gregg stares on, his stony, Buster Keaton-like face saying nothing and everything.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
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That same stony resistance stymied Henry’s next attempt at commercial success, a parasol with a snap-on cover that could be changed to match a woman’s outfit.—
Shoshi Parks,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Blue light suppresses melatonin and makes falling back asleep significantly harder.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
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The post included pictures of Norris carrying her as a baby, the two of them sitting next to each other on the beach, one of her asleep on his lap as an adult and another of her asleep on his lap as a baby.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The silence of the people around us did not erase our differences; the sound of the fireworks in the distance was a callous reminder of the disagreements that did exist.—
Eranda Jayawickreme,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
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Kimi is being quite callous about Missé sharing her story.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As the actor tells Glamour, most were written according to stereotypes and portrayed as cold, unfeeling, aggressive, or robotic.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
20 Mar. 2026
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The truth is that state government is not some distant, unfeeling bureaucracy.—
John Atkinson,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensitive. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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