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
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
The pedestrian crash set off a wave of heartbreak for the family that was made worse when media misidentified the teen as a woman, and certain headlines garnered insensitive comments on social media at the expense of Ikeria's death.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 1 Mar. 2026
Even the most well-meaning people make the mistake of making racially insensitive comments.
—Terri Huggins Hart, Parents, 1 Mar. 2026
Miller also has a history of posting insensitive content to his social media pages.
—Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Gromer Jeffers Jr, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
The pedestrian crash set off a wave of heartbreak for the family that was made worse when media misidentified the teen as a woman, and certain headlines garnered insensitive comments on social media at the expense of Ikeria's death.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 1 Mar. 2026
Even the most well-meaning people make the mistake of making racially insensitive comments.
—Terri Huggins Hart, Parents, 1 Mar. 2026
Miller also has a history of posting insensitive content to his social media pages.
—Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
-
There’s also just one overwhelming evil force in this play — the Nazis — whereas Dumas had his musketeers fighting not just ruthless government officials but royalty, religious leaders and nobles.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
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With a lesser interpreter in the role, Eva might have read more reductively as just a ruthless bureaucratic leader.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
My body went numb forging frigid rivers while hurricane-level squalls wicked moisture out of my eyes.—
Mark Johanson,
Outside,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Relationships often suffer as people withdraw or feel emotionally numb.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In between, the Ball Arena patrons were merciless in their jeering of the officials.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Against some audiences’ will, Ari Aster’s merciless black comedy drags us back to May 2020 when tempers, temperatures and misinformation were heating up across America.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
With a 15 percent slope and soils consisting of shattered rock and very stony loam with a small percentage of clay, the soil is low in organic matter and drains extremely well.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
22 Feb. 2026
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The sculptor, David Adickes, was an Army veteran who'd wanted his stony visages to gleam.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While the main areas can be dramatic and flashy with the disco balls, string lights, and bold colors, the rooms are light and serene—the perfect places to unwind and fall blissfully asleep.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
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Since many hotels usually have a couple pillows of different firmness levels on a bed, falling and staying asleep won’t be a fever dream no matter your sleeping position.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This is the result of years of callous mismanagement and broken promises.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
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But German timidity before Israel’s moral blackmail only partly explains Habermas’s callous attitude toward the country’s Palestinian victims.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The truth is that state government is not some distant, unfeeling bureaucracy.—
John Atkinson,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
-
There’d be too much sympathy in watching this cookie get pulverized by unfeeling overlords.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensitive. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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