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
Instead, price-insensitive patients gravitate toward facilities with the most prestigious reputations, cutting-edge equipment, and lavish amenities.
—
Chris Pope, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
This may sound a little insensitive, but bear with me.
—Rebecca Fearn, SELF, 10 Feb. 2026
That approach to broadcasting would have to evolve in response to changing community standards as what once was considered de rigueur and playful on sports talk radio might be deemed insensitive, or worse, today.
—Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Experiences of inconsistent or insensitive care can lead you to expect the worst of other people, a core feature of insecure attachment.
—Jessica A. Stern, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Chris Pope, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
This may sound a little insensitive, but bear with me.
—Rebecca Fearn, SELF, 10 Feb. 2026
That approach to broadcasting would have to evolve in response to changing community standards as what once was considered de rigueur and playful on sports talk radio might be deemed insensitive, or worse, today.
—Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Experiences of inconsistent or insensitive care can lead you to expect the worst of other people, a core feature of insecure attachment.
—Jessica A. Stern, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
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Amongst the sandy plains of the Burning Springs region and throngs of raiders and ruthless cap collectors is Prime Video’s Fallout character, The Ghoul (Walton Goggins).—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
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That’s thanks in one part to a gripping flash-forward narrative structure now so common it could be considered a cliché, and in another to Glenn Close’s indelible performance as ruthless litigator Patty Hewes.—
Matt Brennan,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The public at large is gradually becoming numb to our Palantirized surveillance state, and American communities are responding to the militarization of federal law enforcement with their own increasingly intricate webs of sousveillance.—
Sarah Jeong,
The Verge,
1 Mar. 2026
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Do not rub any affected area or use a heating pad or another device like a hairdryer to warm the skin because the person's skin may be numb and doing so may cause more damage to the skin.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Though both storms are similar — with a major storm system lingering over the region for over a day and whipping the region with merciless hurricane-level winds, driving inch after inch of wet snow — what made the 1978 storm so devastating was the apparent suddenness of its arrival.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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These are two of the most conniving, merciless people on television, and they’re bonded by the twin desire to be more like the other.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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High Street began to slope upward, and the terrain became stonier around the sides of the road as Revere and his horse, Brown Beauty, ascended Rock Hill.—
Kostya Kennedy,
Time,
16 Feb. 2026
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The area is populated with stony terraces and narrow streets where bistros serve good Italian food (this being so close to the Italian border) and markets to shop for artisanal items.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After the staff trial, several employees reported their dogs had a blast and fell fast asleep on the way home from the mental stimulation of new sights and smells.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
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Because thirty-two years ago, the Orange County Board of Supervisors was asleep at the switch.—
John Moorlach,
Oc Register,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This is the result of years of callous mismanagement and broken promises.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
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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
Adjective
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There’d be too much sympathy in watching this cookie get pulverized by unfeeling overlords.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
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For example, 1975’s Welfare carefully documents the hoops that working people had to jump through to obtain welfare benefits at New York’s Waverly Welfare Center, representing the government as an intractable and unfeeling force.—
Vikram Murthi,
The Atlantic,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensitive. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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