unaffectionate

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unaffectionate 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
  • And at its head, always, sits Adele’s husband Caesar (Tommaso Ragno), a stern but not unloving patriarch with the sonorous voice of a man used to being obeyed, who runs the local one-room school where all of his kids, bar his youngest, sickly infant, are taught the same lessons regardless of age.
    Jessica Kiang, Variety, 2 Sep. 2024
  • Money notwithstanding, another possible explanation for the Fletcher kids’ unhappiness as adults is that their parents were simply bad parents, distant and unloving.
    Adelle Waldman, The Atlantic, 9 July 2024
Adjective
  • Though never a commercial success, the LP made its way into the hands of oddball punks and art-rock weirdos in the Midwest, intriguing many with its aloof approach to merging rock, punk, new-wave, and experimental prog.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2025
  • In The Acolyte, his tectonically angular face is framed by long emo-boy hair that totally works, especially because his performance gives just a hint of peak Tony Leung: aloof and a bit of a weirdo yet utterly charming and definitely dangerous.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Such dogs are often viewed as aggressive and unfriendly, conjuring up fear.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
  • And the big majority calls Russia either an enemy or unfriendly.
    CBS News, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Both were crashing bores because of the literally nauseating behavior of fans and the uncaring attitude of the proprietors.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
  • In a world conquered by science, technology, and capitalism, people had grown accustomed to viewing themselves as isolated cogs in a large and uncaring machine.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 18 Nov. 2019
Adjective
  • Jesus routinely criticized wealthy people who were indifferent to the poor.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2025
  • And if these two were indifferent to each other, there would be no story.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Confused and clearly uninterested, Benson shut his advances down — but not before Stabler temporarily came to and took a clear side in the brisket conversation.
    Alex Ross, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • My best guess for why HBO is airing it second is that most people hearing the subject will either be uninterested or know the details already, in which case: Why bother?
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • There is the ruthless spymaster Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and his mysterious assistant Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau).
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • O’Neil had shown a more ruthless streak in dealing with Lemina, stripping the midfielder of the captaincy after those embarrassing post-match scenes at West Ham.
    Steve Madeley, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • And to think, this pitiless conquistador came to North America as a humble kitchen herb, deliberately imported by European settlers for its piquant flavor.
    Zoë Lescaze, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
  • This is Lynskey in The Last of Us mode, pitiless and unrelenting, and teeing her up against an aligned Misty and Tai is the most exciting development that could have come out of an originally aimless-feeling season.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unaffectionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unaffectionate. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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