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inhuman

American  
[in-hyoo-muhn, -yoo-] / ɪnˈhyu mən, -ˈyu- /

adjective

  1. lacking qualities of sympathy, pity, warmth, compassion, or the like; cruel; brutal.

    an inhuman master.
    Synonyms:
    brutish, savage, hard, callous, cold, unsympathetic, unfeeling

  2. not suited for human beings.

  3. not human.

inhuman British  
/ ɪnˈhjuːmən /

adjective

  1. Also: inhumane.  lacking humane feelings, such as sympathy, understanding, etc; cruel; brutal

  2. not human

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • inhumanely adverb
  • inhumanly adverb
  • inhumanness noun

Etymology

Origin of inhuman

First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin inhūmānus; replacing late Middle English inhumain, from Middle French, from Latin; in- 3, human

Compare meaning

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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.

“Ready or Not 2” and “They Will Kill You” supply their characters with almost inhuman agency and dexterity because they reflect a moment when the viewer desperately wishes they could have those things, too.

From Salon

Forts, where tens of thousands of enslaved Africans were once held under inhuman conditions, remain standing along the West African country's coast.

From BBC

Throw in the fact that Ryan Coogler’s historical horror smash “Sinners” was up for a record 16 awards, and genuine, defiant progress in the face of constant inhuman brutality seemed like a real possibility.

From Salon

Philosophy without a biography turns inhuman; biography without a philosophy becomes inert.

From The Wall Street Journal

I stopped moving and made a faint, inhuman noise.

From Literature

Definitions 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.