insensitive

[ in-sen-si-tiv ]
See synonyms for: insensitiveinsensitivenessinsensitivity on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. deficient in human sensibility, acuteness of feeling, or consideration; unfeeling; callous: an insensitive person.

  2. not physically sensitive: insensitive skin.

  1. not affected by physical or chemical agencies or influences: insensitive to light.

  2. not readily responsive or aware: insensitive to the needs of the peasants.

Origin of insensitive

1
First recorded in 1600–10; in-3 + sensitive

Other words from insensitive

  • in·sen·si·tive·ness, in·sen·si·tiv·i·ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use insensitive in a sentence

  • Moments later, I was receiving a long string of counter-tweets excoriating me for the supposed insensitivity of my comment.

  • She displayed that remarkable insensitivity of females in situations productive of both pride and embarrassment.

    Space Tug | Murray Leinster
  • All right, sometimes insensitivity could be a defense as it had at the sea gate.

    Key Out of Time | Andre Alice Norton

British Dictionary definitions for insensitive

insensitive

/ (ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv) /


adjective
  1. lacking sensitivity; unfeeling

  2. lacking physical sensation

  1. (postpositive foll by to) not sensitive (to) or affected (by): insensitive to radiation

Derived forms of insensitive

  • insensitively, adverb
  • insensitiveness or insensitivity, noun

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