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
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
That being said, before posting anything about your child, parents might want to consider if the content could be viewed as insensitive.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 28 Nov. 2025
But making TikTok compilations and photo edits directly comparing their bodies before and after filming, and using the situation to chase views and likes online, is insensitive and harmful.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
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
That being said, before posting anything about your child, parents might want to consider if the content could be viewed as insensitive.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 28 Nov. 2025
But making TikTok compilations and photo edits directly comparing their bodies before and after filming, and using the situation to chase views and likes online, is insensitive and harmful.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
-
Grant me ruthless access to the psychological image, discomfortable mercy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
His new persona as a fighting moderate, a Democrat in tune with the country’s shifting desires and ruthless toward the man at the top, deftly speaks to the needs of a party desperate to regain the White House.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Like, like my legs are going numb.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
7 Jan. 2026
-
On my knees, my hands zip-tied behind me, my fingers and feet quickly grew numb.—
Emily Wilder,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
In the film, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Bob Ferguson, a former revolutionary who must save his teenage daughter after she’s kidnapped by the merciless army officer, Colonel Lockjaw (played by Sean Penn).—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Iran’s attorney general has vowed to pursue merciless legal action against the latter, including the death penalty.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN Money,
12 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
-
Without prosecutors empowered to bring charges against wrongdoers, judges willing to strike down overreach, legislators daring enough to demand investigations and change laws, and citizens outraged enough to protest, any revelations by journalists will fall on stony ground.—
Susan Chira,
Foreign Affairs,
2 Dec. 2025
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After that historic journey, NASA charted a new course toward Apophis, a stony metal-rich NEA that offers a sharp scientific contrast to Bennu's carbon-rich composition (and was once thought to pose a serious impact risk to Earth).—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
28 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Her 9-year-old sister, Mary Katherine Smart, pretended to be asleep as Mitchell threatened her older sister with a knife.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Court records reviewed by the station show Pollion had been asleep in the train car for nearly an hour without interacting with Thurman, and prosecutors said the men did not know each other.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
When others questioned that portrayal by citing Kirk’s more callous stances—on immigrants, guns, and trans people—Trump saw an opportunity to further pursue his anti-dissent agenda.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
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Miss Manners has noticed that forms for responding to social invitations have gotten harsher and harsher, as prospective guests have gotten increasingly more callous.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The greatest accusation levied against her is the crime of being an unfeeling mother.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Aug. 2025
-
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 23 Jan. 2026.
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