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
Hollywood reacted by lambasting Trump for being cruel and insensitive.
—
Zack Sharf, Variety, 4 Jan. 2026
Last month, one of Mamdani's top appointments withdrew after the Anti-Defamation League surfaced social media posts from more than a decade ago widely viewed as insensitive and anti-Semitic.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 1 Jan. 2026
And a bit of that happened, sure, there was harassment, and doxxing, and people lost their jobs for insensitive posts about Kirk.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025
The Reddit user notes that one of the children is biracial, implying that the comment may have been racially motivated or, at the very least, insensitive.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Zack Sharf, Variety, 4 Jan. 2026
Last month, one of Mamdani's top appointments withdrew after the Anti-Defamation League surfaced social media posts from more than a decade ago widely viewed as insensitive and anti-Semitic.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 1 Jan. 2026
And a bit of that happened, sure, there was harassment, and doxxing, and people lost their jobs for insensitive posts about Kirk.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025
The Reddit user notes that one of the children is biracial, implying that the comment may have been racially motivated or, at the very least, insensitive.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
-
Figure skating is ruthless that way.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Pursued by both the FBI and a ruthless crime boss (Bening), Lucky must fight for her life — and a way out.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
By now, Americans have gone numb to the ridiculous statements of the president of the United States.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
-
How numb have the Nuggets gotten to those injuries?—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Murphy is not acting alone, however, as he’s been assigned to the journey out of a labor camp run by a merciless, tobacco-spitting boss (Russell Crowe) — and some in his merriless band turn out to be savvier, and more malicious, than others.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
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But the Warriors, driven by the merciless ticking clock of Curry’s career, are desperate.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Across this stony landscape, light sometimes falls.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
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Forgotten animal pens, decaying cages and stony backdrops now sit in various states of abandonment.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo said the five-second video showed the young woman asleep at the time.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Long-haul and overnight flights, for example, give thieves ample time and opportunity to peruse through suitcases and personal item bags while passengers are asleep, says Figgins.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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As the only female taxi driver working her corner of Nigeria’s heaving metropolis, Lady is accustomed to underestimation by a callous patriarchy, and staunchly resists the gender normatives implied by her name.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
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 13 Feb. 2026.
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