unfeeling

American  

[uhn-fee-ling] / ʌnˈfi lɪŋ /

adjective

1. not feeling; devoid of feeling; insensible or insensate.

   Synonyms:

   numb

2. unsympathetic; callous.

   an intelligent but unfeeling man.

   Synonyms:

   hardhearted

   Antonyms:

   sympathetic

---

unfeeling British  

/ ʌnˈfiːlɪŋ /

adjective

1. without sympathy; callous

2. without physical feeling or sensation

---

Related Words

See hard.

Other Word Forms

• unfeelingly adverb
• unfeelingness noun

Etymology

Origin of unfeeling

before 1000; Middle English; Old English unfelende. See un- ¹, feel, -ing ²

Example Sentences

When he dismisses a contagion that killed millions as a “global gob of spit,” Mr. Tesson seems unfeeling and out of touch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

Brooks and Gordon could easily get away with making “Oh, Hi!” a reverse “Misery,” with Iris as the beleaguered, sympathetic party trapped in a bad dynamic made worse by her unfeeling companion.

From Salon • Jul. 25, 2025

Noughties celebrity culture will be remembered for stars like Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty tackling troubles in the glare of publicity, while the tabloids and lad mags wielded unfeeling and voyeuristic power.

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2023

The conventional wisdom about insects has been that they are automatons—unthinking, unfeeling creatures whose behavior is entirely hardwired.

From Scientific American • Jun. 16, 2023

She hoped no one could have said to her, “How could you be so unfeeling to your father?—I must, I will tell you truths while I can.”

From "Emma" by Jane Austen