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
Providers have no reason to reduce costs for price-insensitive customers.
—
Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
The timing of the comments, however, was viewed by many in Ukraine as insensitive.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026
But by the 1980s, ABC had pulled his cartoons due to concerns that his dress, accent and characters like his cousin, Slowpoke Rodriguez, were insensitive toward Mexicans and Mexican Americans.
—Jared Bahir Browsh, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
This includes Baldoni requesting his public relations representatives to amplify a video criticizing Lively as insensitive to domestic violence survivors.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
The timing of the comments, however, was viewed by many in Ukraine as insensitive.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026
But by the 1980s, ABC had pulled his cartoons due to concerns that his dress, accent and characters like his cousin, Slowpoke Rodriguez, were insensitive toward Mexicans and Mexican Americans.
—Jared Bahir Browsh, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
This includes Baldoni requesting his public relations representatives to amplify a video criticizing Lively as insensitive to domestic violence survivors.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
-
Sure, he’s driven by vengeance and ruthless in his pursuit, but — without spoiling anything — his motivation is clouded at best, misplaced at worst.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Michael’s brother Sonny (James Caan) becomes the de facto crime boss as the Corleones prosecute a turf war against their rivals, and Michael eventually emerges as the new, and much more ruthless boss, much to the horror of his wife, Kay (Diane Keaton).—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The passengers, including me, sat stoically in the dark, tired and numb.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
However numb fans are to the business of seemingly every level of sport, including third-grade kickball, seeing Schloss in a Texas uniform at Blue Bell Park is not going to go over well.—
Mac Engel
April 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fleeing into the desert with her father, she is hunted by a merciless army and forced to trust a legendary bandit (Mackie) with secrets of his own.—
Mark Meszoros,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This commentary was not from a wonkish TikToker nor a network pundit but from TMZ, the merciless purveyor of celebrity dirt, which published the images of Graham after a citizen vacationer noticed the senator flitting through the theme park and sent pictures.—
Paula Mejía,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
In a vast stony tract of desert a three-hour drive south of Cairo, tucked between jagged black mountains and the glittering Gulf of Suez, a group of Chinese engineers is quietly rewiring Egypt’s energy strategy.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Hikers can traverse the stony beds of Cliffy Creek and snap photos of the park's four iconic waterfalls.—
Joie Probst,
Midwest Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
He was advised to turn back along the same route and keep moving to avoid falling asleep through hypothermia.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In the official teaser, Lowen is slinking around the Crawford family house wearing a silk robe while Verity is fast asleep in bed.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As Tiffany, Brittany Bradford can turn on a dime from hilarious (in her college open mic-night debut) to callous and cold.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Drenched in sweat from the heat, Pickford would burn through work gloves and callous his hands.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One says, God can always see you with his unfeeling precision.—
Sandra Lim,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
As the actor tells Glamour, most were written according to stereotypes and portrayed as cold, unfeeling, aggressive, or robotic.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensitive. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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