Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

insensitive

American  
[in-sen-si-tiv] / ɪnˈsɛn sɪ tɪv /

adjective

  1. deficient in human sensibility, acuteness of feeling, or consideration; unfeeling; callous.

    an insensitive person.

  2. not physically sensitive.

    insensitive skin.

  3. not affected by physical or chemical agencies or influences.

    insensitive to light.

  4. not readily responsive or aware.

    insensitive to the needs of the peasants.
insensitive British  
/ ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv /

adjective

  1. lacking sensitivity; unfeeling

  2. lacking physical sensation

  3. not sensitive (to) or affected (by)

    insensitive to radiation
"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

  • insensitively adverb
  • insensitiveness noun
  • insensitivity noun

Etymology

Origin of insensitive

First recorded in 1600–10; in- 3 + sensitive

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.