unhuman

[ in-hyoo-muh n, or, often,, ‐yoo-muh n ]

/ ɪnˈhyu mən, or, often,, ‐ˈyu mən /

adjective

lacking human attributes: The unhuman figures in his earlier work were not well received.

of a quality or power beyond what is human; superhuman: Her hands clenched the chair with unhuman strength.

not a member of the human species: Of our unhuman relatives, I love the mountain gorillas best.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby unhuman

unhoped, unhoped-for, unhorse, unhouse, unhouseled, unhuman, unhurried, unhurt, unhusk, unhygienic, uni

Origin of unhuman

First recorded in 1780–85; un-¹ + human

Example sentences from the Web for unhuman

This was the foul revenge that Rogue Rogan had planned, the evil death he had plotted with his unhuman companions.
Runaway|William Morrison
Passion spoiled everything, and it was very ugly and unhuman.
Mogens and Other Stories|Jens Peter Jacobsen
To all these human or unhuman aids some overburdened soul has felt free to say anything the audience might need to hear.
Dramatic Technique|George Pierce Baker
The word means an inhuman or unhuman man, a man who is not man.
The Ego and His Own|Max Stirner

Why, that's the most unhuman thing I ever heard of in all my life!
The Admiral's Caravan|Charles E. Carryl