unfeeling
Americanadjective
-
not feeling; devoid of feeling; insensible or insensate.
- Synonyms:
- numb
-
unsympathetic; callous.
an intelligent but unfeeling man.
- Synonyms:
- hardhearted
- Antonyms:
- sympathetic
adjective
-
without sympathy; callous
-
without physical feeling or sensation
Related Words
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.
When a nameless secretary drops a sheaf of papers, Kornev’s response to help is instinctive, yet we cringe at the careless faux pas he commits in this unfeeling society.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 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
Where were prisoners kept in this vast, unfeeling city?
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
