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
That being said, before posting anything about your child, parents might want to consider if the content could be viewed as insensitive.
—
Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 28 Nov. 2025
But making TikTok compilations and photo edits directly comparing their bodies before and after filming, and using the situation to chase views and likes online, is insensitive and harmful.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
The discord between Smith and Beadle dates back to their days working together at ESPN, with the two clashing over Smith’s comments regarding former NFL star Ray Rice’s domestic assault of his wife, which Beadle publicly deemed as tone-deaf and insensitive.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 12 Nov. 2025
Stopping your antibiotic prescription early could lead to antibiotic resistance, which is when bacteria become insensitive or resistant to antibiotics.
—Emmanuella Ogbonna, Health, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insensitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensitive
Adjective
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But he's drawn into a deadly Colombian drama involving a new ruthless arms dealer posing as a humanitarian, Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva), and Roxana (Camila Morrone), an American businesswoman.—
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As Iranians know well from 1979, ruthless contests tend to define revolutions.—
Adjective
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Like, like my legs are going numb.—
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On my knees, my hands zip-tied behind me, my fingers and feet quickly grew numb.—
Adjective
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With a merciless 56-22 thumping of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first national championship game appearance in program history.—
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All the while, the president, his top advisers, and his public-affairs offices have pumped out rhetoric and imagery that celebrates the merciless, military-style pursuit of deportations.—
Adjective
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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.—
Adjective
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Without prosecutors empowered to bring charges against wrongdoers, judges willing to strike down overreach, legislators daring enough to demand investigations and change laws, and citizens outraged enough to protest, any revelations by journalists will fall on stony ground.—
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After that historic journey, NASA charted a new course toward Apophis, a stony metal-rich NEA that offers a sharp scientific contrast to Bennu's carbon-rich composition (and was once thought to pose a serious impact risk to Earth).—
Adjective
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Have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting a good night's sleep.—
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Two other children, who were Dupree’s daughters, were asleep inside the house and were not injured.—
Adjective
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The valuation gods declared a winner in the quest to be America’s premier New York radio station, the callous observer might say.—
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The people behind prediction markets can be even more callous, while also offering even more opportunities to bet.—
Adjective
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The greatest accusation levied against her is the crime of being an unfeeling mother.—
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Then, the men had to walk around as these unfeeling, aggressive, hyper-masculine creatures.—
Cite this Entry
“Insensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensitive. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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