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Synonyms

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

"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

Synonym Usage

See hard.

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of unfeeling

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


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.

See Examples For:

He taped the unfeeling fingers to the functioning ones so that he could grip a baseball, then, resembling “a little boy throwing against the steps of his back porch,” threw against a wall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

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

That pair hadn’t been brown or warm—they’d been cold, black, and utterly unfeeling.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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