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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At the start, David seems abrasive and unloving toward his own son and altogether too inviting toward John, who is eager to take over the biographical project that Jacob was angling for.
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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.
Adjective
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Tired of trying to come off cool and aloof on dates?
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The design is still in progress, and while NJ Transit has joined Amtrak in shaping the latest proposal, the MTA remains sulkily aloof.
Adjective
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But the Americans already lost to the Turks last year in an unfriendly friendly, so this may be a real problem.
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Bottom line, half of America is increasingly unfriendly to the LGBTQ+ population, Sears said.
Adjective
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This was not caused by an uncaring community, but by an overwhelming response delivered in a language and through customs different from those on full display at Latin Night.
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Or even better, use self-checkout to avoid the evil, uncaring cashier or bag person.
Adjective
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The challenge lies in intelligent people learning to direct and explain this behavior to avoid being perceived as indifferent.
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Alex Lock, a communications officer at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, asked people to resist feeling indifferent.
Adjective
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Still, these scenarios are comparable to what Meta’s existing glasses can handle and likely won’t convince people who are skeptical of or uninterested in smart glasses.
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That is exactly the kind of mess White appears uninterested in creating inside the UFC.
Adjective
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Canadian quartet Truck Violence have been sloshing together these subgenres in a ruthless manner for several years now, and their sophomore album and debut for the Flenser aims for even higher drops between those peaks and valleys.
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There was relative peace for 11 years, until a second civil war erupted in 1983, when leaders in Khartoum imposed sharia (Islamic) law and accelerated repression of the southern Christian rebels, which ultimately allowed a ruthless military officer, Omar al-Bashir, to come to power in 1989.
Adjective
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Nilsson’s depiction of bodies past their prime conjures not the pitiless naturalism of Joan Semmel or Alice Neel, but something friskier, more delighted.
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As with the others, the pitiless treatment only ends when they’re slaughtered.
Cite this Entry
“Unaffectionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unaffectionate. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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