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
The next three lines modify Vim’s search behavior, making all-lowercase searches case-insensitive but keeping mixed-case searches case-sensitive and highlighting all the search results at once.
—
Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 6 May 2026
Our hands soon became insensitive, clumsy hooks.
—Jim Hoagland, Outdoor Life, 30 Apr. 2026
Educators were fired for making insensitive comments about him on their personal social-media accounts; a firefighter in Toledo lost his job for posting a derisive eulogy on Facebook; various airline employees were suspended for disparaging Kirk online.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Most importantly, renewing the Urban Limit Line would send a signal to county and city leaders throughout Contra Costa that voters want smart growth, not environmentally insensitive sprawl.
—East Bay Times Editorial, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 6 May 2026
Our hands soon became insensitive, clumsy hooks.
—Jim Hoagland, Outdoor Life, 30 Apr. 2026
Educators were fired for making insensitive comments about him on their personal social-media accounts; a firefighter in Toledo lost his job for posting a derisive eulogy on Facebook; various airline employees were suspended for disparaging Kirk online.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Most importantly, renewing the Urban Limit Line would send a signal to county and city leaders throughout Contra Costa that voters want smart growth, not environmentally insensitive sprawl.
—East Bay Times Editorial, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
-
The role of Chris Partlow, Marlo Stanfield's top lieutenant and ruthless hitman, was the first screen credit for Gbenga Akinnagbe.—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
-
Lexi is adrift in the ruthless world of Hollywood.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Feeling numb or unable to experience emotions.—
Julie Kaplow,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
-
Outgunned in Monaco, over-cautious in Lyon, no holding midfielder in the final defeat to Chelsea in 2021 and a Real Madrid remontada the following year which left them numb.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
25 May 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
-
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
-
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
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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
-
Anyone who likes keeping the balcony doors open at night and falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves should enjoy the Ocean Rooms.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Veeze’s signature rapping voice, which sounds like his vocal cords are coated in phlegm and cough syrup, is increasingly versatile, despite the sometimes half-asleep delivery.—
Matthew Ritchie,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Then Sunday night’s series finale brought it all to an abrupt, patchwork, and brutally callous end.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
-
Only the most callous of viewers would fail to sympathize with goalkeeper Matt Turner after seeing an injury compounding the personal tragedy of his partner’s miscarriage.—
Beau Dure,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
One says, God can always see you with his unfeeling precision.—
Sandra Lim,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Insensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensitive. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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