insincere
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insincere
1625–35; < Latin insincērus tainted, dishonest; see in- 3, sincere
Explanation
Someone who's insincere is a little bit fake or phony. Your classmate's insincere apology for interrupting you probably sounds like she doesn't really mean it. When you're insincere, you're not being completely honest. A losing politician often gives an insincere-sounding concession speech, and a teacher who's having a terrible day might wear an insincere smile on her face. The adjective sincere, "coming from genuine, honest feelings," is at the root of insincere — the Latin prefix in, or "not," is combined with sincerus, "sound, pure, or whole."
Vocabulary lists containing insincere
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 6
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
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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.
If time doesn’t allow for this, Fitzgerald says, it is often considered better to slip away than to appear rushed or insincere in a curt goodbye.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
Peppering in phrases like “love bombing” and “disassociative” feels insincere.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2025
That promise, insincere from the start, looks hollower every day.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2025
In response, Allister said: "If Claire is trying to pretend that I am insincere in my condemnation of violence then I utterly repudiate and indeed resent that comment."
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2025
They had been halfhearted tokens of penance, insincere, corrupt gestures meant more for his own appeasement than hers.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
