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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insensitive
The Trader Sam’s bar takes its name from the culturally insensitive Jungle Cruise headhunter character that was removed from the Disneyland river boat attraction in 2021.
—
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
The documentary also shows people, especially during media interviews, being very insensitive to Candy’s issues, especially his struggles with obesity, and saying so to his face.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
This is just one more example of a government insensitive to the realities of people's health needs.
—Maria Shriver, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
White House officials blasted Schumer’s comments in an interview with Punchbowl News as insensitive as the shutdown threatens pay for military members and funds for certain government programs.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
The documentary also shows people, especially during media interviews, being very insensitive to Candy’s issues, especially his struggles with obesity, and saying so to his face.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
This is just one more example of a government insensitive to the realities of people's health needs.
—Maria Shriver, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
White House officials blasted Schumer’s comments in an interview with Punchbowl News as insensitive as the shutdown threatens pay for military members and funds for certain government programs.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
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Those hoping to snatch a home in this busy period faced limited options on the market, as the country’s developers had chronically underbuilt compared to demand in the years following the subprime mortgage crisis, leading to ruthless bidding wars and climbing home values.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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Hedda orchestrates a ruthless game of manipulation, where lust, jealousy and betrayal collide.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Fans are numb to these sorts of stories.—
Mac Engel
October 23,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Oct. 2025
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In a small town like Harding, a crime involving local children of local families shatters the relatively placid and usually numb routines of daily life.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Just clean, merciless, fundamental football.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
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Chat members were merciless in their rhetoric against fellow Young Republicans in competing factions of the organization.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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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President Biden singularly stands out in his callous enabling of the horrors inflicted on Gaza for more than a year.—
Shibley Telhami,
Time,
13 Oct. 2025
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One memorable moment comes early, when another call between Polly and her mother tilts into dread as the voice on the phone morphs into a more callous, sinister being.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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During the babysitter's watch, one of the kids, who is usually up, was asleep the entire time.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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Her father, Ron, last recalled seeing Bradley asleep on the cabin’s balcony.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir, The Chronology of Water casts the actress as a competitive swimmer who comes to terms with an abusive childhood while navigating self-destructive behavior.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
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The period was marked by the dramatic fall from grace of his younger brother, then-Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who admitted to smoking crack cocaine and then was dogged by evidence of a string of other abusive behavior.—
NPR,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The greatest accusation levied against her is the crime of being an unfeeling mother.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Aug. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Insensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensitive. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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