1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
gave the homeless people on the street only an unfeeling glance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in numb
lacking in sensation or feeling
her heart was as cold and hard as the unfeeling marble statue in her garden
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in inanimate
lacking animate awareness or sensation
she spoke politely even to the unfeeling virtual assistant on her phone
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unfeeling
The author renders the four-year-old Margaret’s inner life with sensitive complexity, depicting an alert child logic that defies adults’ view of her as slow and unfeeling.
—
The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
That’s because for decades, reptiles have been characterized as cold, unfeeling, and even primitive creatures.
—Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024
But as the film unspools and Agent Smith comes face to face with Neo and his master Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Weaving begins showing signs that this AI is not so unfeeling, not so unbothered after all.
—Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Theirs is a vast and unfeeling appetite for reassurance, and it must not be given room to grow.
—Harper's BAZAAR, 27 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for unfeeling
The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
That’s because for decades, reptiles have been characterized as cold, unfeeling, and even primitive creatures.
—Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024
But as the film unspools and Agent Smith comes face to face with Neo and his master Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Weaving begins showing signs that this AI is not so unfeeling, not so unbothered after all.
—Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Theirs is a vast and unfeeling appetite for reassurance, and it must not be given room to grow.
—Harper's BAZAAR, 27 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for unfeeling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfeeling
Adjective
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Related Stories Said to be the first book in a series, Little Hands watches as a young British woman with a mysterious past inadvertently joins a ruthless gang of female thieves who rob the ultra-wealthy along the French Riviera.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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This is because the film, which Anderson both wrote (alongside Roman Coppola) and directed, centers on wealthy business tycoon Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), who, thanks to his often ruthless deal-making, has become a frequent target of assassination attempts.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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The passenger blacked out, and woke up confused, with his hands numb.—
Tyler Foggatt,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
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Dawn Hughes says substances can 'numb' abuse after Cassie 'freak offs' testimony Victims of abuse using substances while facing violence is one common coping mechanism, Hughes told the court on May 21.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Still, what separates living, breathing beings from inanimate matter remains frustratingly set in my mind.—
Elizabeth Rush,
The Atlantic,
26 May 2025
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Even an inanimate sculpture representing a Black woman gets hit with stereotypical projections.—
Taryn Finley,
Refinery29,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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The film is cold-bloodedly whimsical, asking the audience to root for a merciless man who endeavors, ever so incrementally, to understand some deeper human truths.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2025
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Unless stopped, Trump and the Republicans who follow him may go down as the most merciless and morally bankrupt leaders this country has ever produced.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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During his new stand-up special, Jamie tearfully recounts his medical emergency that left him being unconscious for 20 days and waking up in a wheelchair.—
Sharareh Drury,
People.com,
2 June 2025
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Authorities found the vehicle’s driver unconscious and not breathing, police said.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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Sifting through the stony soil of southern Sweden, archaeologists uncovered dozens of Viking-era structures and hundreds of artifacts.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
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Her stony expression at this news indicates that Peter should maybe sleep with one eye open.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Infant Lili — who seemed to be asleep! — kept cozy in a striped hat as Meghan held her daughter in her arms.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
4 June 2025
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In addition to the Washington, D.C., and Boulder attacks, a 38-year-old man was arrested in April and charged with firebombing the Pennsylvania governor's residence in Harrisburg, while Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, and his family were asleep inside, officials said.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The brain, like other internal organs, is insensate, its lack of sensory receptors attested by videos of virtuoso violinists who play on unfazed as neurosurgeons go to work inside their skulls.—
Matthew Ponsford,
WIRED,
19 Sep. 2024
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But states have used midazolam alone — and at much higher doses — in executions since 2013, claiming the drug will render people insensate to pain before the administration of other lethal injection drugs.—
Lauren Gill,
ProPublica,
29 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Unfeeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfeeling. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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