1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
gave them an unsympathetic look and pointed out that they'd brought the problem on themselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in icy
lacking in friendliness or warmth of feeling
an aloof and unsympathetic man who does not engage in small talk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
a bohemian artist who found the unsympathetic environment of the small town too much to bear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in negative
opposed to one's interests
an unsympathetic reaction to her proposal to ban trans fats from the company cafeteria
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsympathetic
But Rosebush Pruning is not funny enough to get away with its abrasiveness or make its unsympathetic characters palatable.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
The visit was condemned by Iranians, from regime supporters to anti-government activists, who were opposed to monarchy and unsympathetic to Israel.
—Eric Lob, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Perhaps the most succinct way to illustrate the difference is that Kiritsis really did seem crazy and thus, unsympathetic.
—Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Jan. 2026
Noah Baumbach loves to find sympathy in unsympathetic subjects—the awkward title character of Greenberg, the caustic writer played by Nicole Kidman in Margot at the Wedding, the bitter divorced couple of Marriage Story.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsympathetic
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
The visit was condemned by Iranians, from regime supporters to anti-government activists, who were opposed to monarchy and unsympathetic to Israel.
—Eric Lob, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Perhaps the most succinct way to illustrate the difference is that Kiritsis really did seem crazy and thus, unsympathetic.
—Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Jan. 2026
Noah Baumbach loves to find sympathy in unsympathetic subjects—the awkward title character of Greenberg, the caustic writer played by Nicole Kidman in Margot at the Wedding, the bitter divorced couple of Marriage Story.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsympathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsympathetic
Adjective
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Noah Thomas’s life takes a dangerous turn when a chance reunion with an old high school friend, Parker Coleman, entangles him in a ruthless crime ring.—
Jon Stojan,
Variety,
18 June 2026
-
Sean Connery first portrayed the legendary spy as a confident and ruthless Cold War warrior, while Roger Moore added camp and a gentlemanly touch to the role.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Levine’s missive comes amid an icy relationship with Hosseini, which has soured since the collapse of former University of Michigan President Santa Ono’s candidacy for the UF presidency.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
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Earth-impacting shrapnel from those primordial upheavals may have helped seed our planet with the precursors for life, delivering water and organic compounds from the dark, icy depths of the outer solar system.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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But if his intention is a quick rate cut, the new chairman might be entering a hostile work environment.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
-
French, American, British and other naval crews already have experience of escorting civilian ships through hostile fire in the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Fort Worth City Council is considering a slate of changes to its development codes to protect residents from the negative effects of data center development while still capturing some economic benefit for the city.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
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Service lines include negative content suppression and removal, brand credibility restoration, news and press placement, content strategy, real-time monitoring, and Google search dominance.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Having catalogued the Black Death’s horrifying effects, Ibn Khatima went on to outline a series of preventative measures and active treatments designed to combat this merciless scourge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
The jokes on social media will be endless, and opposing fans will be merciless.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
The production had no money, no stars and was going to shoot in a frigid Canadian forest.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
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Chicago is a great pick for a city break, even during its famously frigid winters.—
Skye Sherman,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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The undertaking might seem crazy to those who diss the fight game or have unfavorable reviews of the current administration.—
Dan Gelston,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
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Negotiating power is harder to see—until conditions become unfavorable and someone needs to act against the system their balance sheet depends on.—
Anatoly Iofe,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.—
Emily Cox,
ARTnews.com,
22 May 2026
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Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsympathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsympathetic. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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