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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in numb
lacking in sensation or feeling
fingers rendered insensitive by the cold
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insensitive
Corporate speak feels insensitive when people are grappling with real deprivation and anxieties about the future.
—
Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
At the time of the campaign’s launch, Regent James raised concerns that some of the images used by the campaign were racially insensitive and furthered misperceptions about the impact on the Black community.
—Callie Rennison, Denver Post, 25 June 2025
The next step in permanently removing the village’s former seal, which some have said is insensitive, is a redesign of the village’s flag, which has the village’s former seal on it.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Both create a larger blast than earlier bombs while being sufficiently insensitive to survive the shock of the initial strike.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
At the time of the campaign’s launch, Regent James raised concerns that some of the images used by the campaign were racially insensitive and furthered misperceptions about the impact on the Black community.
—Callie Rennison, Denver Post, 25 June 2025
The next step in permanently removing the village’s former seal, which some have said is insensitive, is a redesign of the village’s flag, which has the village’s former seal on it.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Both create a larger blast than earlier bombs while being sufficiently insensitive to survive the shock of the initial strike.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
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,
EW.com,
29 July 2025
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The initial plan was to use the Indigenous Taino population to work the fields, but this population was quickly decimated by genocidal conquest, ruthless working conditions as well as novel diseases brought by the Europeans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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These include feeling emotionally numb or that life is meaningless; experiencing difficulty accepting the loss; and experiencing confusion over their own identity.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
28 July 2025
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To be a sports fan in the modern era is to be at least somewhat numb to the steady drip of doping positives.—
Alex Hutchinson,
Outside Online,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Her fateful decision proves to have great consequences, and Jude tracks her subsequent guilt trip with merciless humanity, echoing Rossellini’s Europa ’51.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
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People often hear the word budget and think of dieting –– punishment, restriction and merciless cost cutting.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But opponents called it a callous idea that would eliminate one of the few safe places to sleep for those without shelter.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
30 July 2025
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And through those sessions with his father, Ferguson developed a callous.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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Cristian Robles was asleep in his house in the 1400 block of East Maddox Avenue when three men wearing ski masks forced a door open and got inside, according to police and Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV reporting.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Aug. 2025
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Among those set to testify Thursday is an emergency response official who a colleague has said likely was asleep in the critical hours before the flood, when four months’ worth of rain fell and forced the Guadalupe River to rise over 20 feet, sweeping homes, cars, campers and cabins downstream.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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The women's arrests uncovered a pattern of abusive teaching by Hildebrandt, and confirmed growing suspicions of critics who long questioned Franke’s strict parenting style on her popular 8 Passengers family vlogging page on YouTube.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
28 July 2025
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Christopher McDonald, as Happy’s nemesis Scooter McGavin, and Ben Stiller, as abusive orderly Hal L, have also returned.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Then, the men had to walk around as these unfeeling, aggressive, hyper-masculine creatures.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
28 May 2025
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Tabo turns, in his mother’s eyes, into a cold and unfeeling stone.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Insensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensitive. Accessed 9 Aug. 2025.
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