insensitive
Americanadjective
-
deficient in human sensibility, acuteness of feeling, or consideration; unfeeling; callous.
an insensitive person.
-
not physically sensitive.
insensitive skin.
-
not affected by physical or chemical agencies or influences.
insensitive to light.
-
not readily responsive or aware.
insensitive to the needs of the peasants.
adjective
-
lacking sensitivity; unfeeling
-
lacking physical sensation
-
not sensitive (to) or affected (by)
insensitive to radiation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insensitive
Explanation
When you're insensitive, you're not feeling something. You can be insensitive to the weather or other people's problems. This word has two meanings that are closely related. When your foot is asleep, it's insensitive or numb — you can't feel your friend poking at it. When you get really cold, you can become insensitive to pain. In the other sense, insensitive means the opposite of caring and sympathetic — you're insensitive to other people's feelings. If you make a joke about your friend's bad haircut when you know she's embarrassed about it, you're being insensitive.
Vocabulary lists containing insensitive
Out of My Mind
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Perils of Indifference," Vocabulary from the speech
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Game Changer
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“My earlier statement didn’t go far enough. I know many people are suffering economically,” she wrote “Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
"I know many people are suffering economically. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry," Stewart said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
The whirlwind episode showed how sensitive certain parts of the AI market are to changes in borrowing costs, even as cash-rich data-center hyperscalers such as Microsoft and Alphabet are so far insensitive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Megacap companies, including the “Magnificent Seven” group of tech stocks, have been almost rate insensitive in recent months, despite borrowing a deluge of new debt to fund the AI build-out.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
And maybe I was being a little insensitive.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
