as in unloving
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Recent Examples of unaffectionate
By widening the lens, Clark is able to redirect the book’s gaze from the mother toward a quizzical, sometimes critical, but not unaffectionate portrait of two generations of political activism, with the attendant self-involvement and domestic negligence.
—
James Wood, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
But in conversations with his long-suffering wife Louisa and his stern mother Abigail Adams, a less noble side of the man is laid bare: absentee husband, cold, unaffectionate father and inflexible, unlikable politician.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2020
Seward says Diana told her about her ex-husband's unaffectionate childhood with parents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE.com, 21 Sep. 2020
Kyung, a Korean-American, grew up financially comfortable — surrounded by tutors, music lessons and other markers of success — but in loveless, unaffectionate surroundings.
—Joumana Khatib, New York Times, 11 May 2017
James Wood, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
But in conversations with his long-suffering wife Louisa and his stern mother Abigail Adams, a less noble side of the man is laid bare: absentee husband, cold, unaffectionate father and inflexible, unlikable politician.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2020
Seward says Diana told her about her ex-husband's unaffectionate childhood with parents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE.com, 21 Sep. 2020
Kyung, a Korean-American, grew up financially comfortable — surrounded by tutors, music lessons and other markers of success — but in loveless, unaffectionate surroundings.
—Joumana Khatib, New York Times, 11 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unaffectionate
Adjective
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Potterheads across the globe will instantly recognize Harry’s not-so-homely house on Privet Drive, his cramped excuse of a bedroom and the endless disdain oozing from the young wizard’s unloving aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
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Felix, whose childhood is revealed to have been unloving and unstable, seems to see in Jess something like instant security: not just a warm person with a home that’s much more welcoming than his chaotic squat full of eco-warriors, but an insta-family.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
Waterhouse is the opposite of aloof.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
28 May 2026
-
Jimmy is a compulsively magnetic figure who keeps everyone at arm’s length, including the audience, and for a film that embodies a voluptuous sense of tragedy, that leaves it undeniably aloof.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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Bottom line, half of America is increasingly unfriendly to the LGBTQ+ population, Sears said.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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And then there’s the prim and unfriendly Stagg, who doesn’t play well with others, who insists on having the office to himself, and who refuses to let the affable Krick be a part of his reports to Ike and the rest of the generals.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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In my experience coaching executives, the leaders who struggle the most aren’t lazy or uncaring.—
Melinda Fouts,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Enzo holds his knees close to his body, a protective position that visually signals discomfort, while Anthony lays down with legs stretched taking space with uncaring easy.—
Carlos Aguilar,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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But that leaves the majority of the workforce somewhere between indifferent and actively anxious — and anxious is where the story gets alarming.—
Matt Rosenbaum,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
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Teams do not need leaders who are indifferent to how people feel.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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If Muntadas’s work expands the spectacle of self-exploitation to its wider social implications, Lord’s chapter in Media Hostages, Future Language, redirects this attention to the uninterested spectators passing by the billboard on the road.—
Jonathan Odden,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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This approach seemed common when authorities were uninterested or incompetent.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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The role of Chris Partlow, Marlo Stanfield's top lieutenant and ruthless hitman, was the first screen credit for Gbenga Akinnagbe.—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
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Lexi is adrift in the ruthless world of Hollywood.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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As with the others, the pitiless treatment only ends when they’re slaughtered.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
18 May 2026
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But Lincoln was the Declaration’s most pitiless and most brilliant editor.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unaffectionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unaffectionate. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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