INSENSITIVE Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

insensitive

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈsen(t)-s(ə-)tiv

Definition of insensitive

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

as in numb

lacking in sensation or feeling fingers rendered insensitive by the cold

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of insensitive These remarks were seen by many as insensitive, especially in a country where youth unemployment remains stubbornly high. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 July 2026 No one wants to be labeled as racist or racially insensitive. — David Aldridge, New York Times, 4 July 2026 But even as democratic governments have become more proficient and more technologically adept at thwarting terrorists, some in our societies have become insensitive, or even callous, about the civilizational consequences of terror and violence. — Anne Neuberger, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 The insensitive promotion was swiftly canceled, leading to the CEO's dismissal, a public apology, and mandatory history training for 24,000 employees. — Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for insensitive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive

Adjective

However, claiming his birthright means surviving the Renaissance’s most ruthless rival — his own family, who refuse to accept him.

— Peter White, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
The higher Arsenal climb, the finer those margins become, and the more ruthless Arteta and Arsenal may have to be.

— James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Adjective

Then, in late May 1986, Kontras, whose tall, athletic build discloses a lifelong dedication to good health, noticed a swelling on the left side of his back that was numb to the touch.

— Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
There is the potential to eventually grow numb to the finances of a Premier League summer.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of numb

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
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

Definition of numbed

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
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

Definition of stony

Adjective

Over the last year, advocates have collected declarations from scores of detainees describing inedible food, substandard medical care and callous treatment at the hands of guards and staff.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
They will be sickened and embarrassed to have a parent be so callous and vindictive.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of callous

Adjective

Civilizations could have risen to their zenith and crumbled in the time our micrometeoroid spent traversing the unfeeling expanse of interplanetary space, but its demise lasted but a fraction of a second.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 July 2026
Readers can judge Jane and me, deciding that one of us was unfeeling or uncomprehending.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026