insensitive
Americanadjective
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deficient in human sensibility, acuteness of feeling, or consideration; unfeeling; callous.
an insensitive person.
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not physically sensitive.
insensitive skin.
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not affected by physical or chemical agencies or influences.
insensitive to light.
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not readily responsive or aware.
insensitive to the needs of the peasants.
adjective
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lacking sensitivity; unfeeling
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lacking physical sensation
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not sensitive (to) or affected (by)
insensitive to radiation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insensitive
Explanation
When you're insensitive, you're not feeling something. You can be insensitive to the weather or other people's problems. This word has two meanings that are closely related. When your foot is asleep, it's insensitive or numb — you can't feel your friend poking at it. When you get really cold, you can become insensitive to pain. In the other sense, insensitive means the opposite of caring and sympathetic — you're insensitive to other people's feelings. If you make a joke about your friend's bad haircut when you know she's embarrassed about it, you're being insensitive.
Vocabulary lists containing insensitive
Out of My Mind
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"The Perils of Indifference," Vocabulary from the speech
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Game Changer
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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.
“My earlier statement didn’t go far enough. I know many people are suffering economically,” she wrote “Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
American lifestyle guru Martha Stewart apologized late Sunday for an "insensitive and not funny" Halloween costume after she appeared to dress up as a homeless person.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Stephanie said the conversation became so "insensitive" that the group of medics had to leave the room.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Megacap companies, including the “Magnificent Seven” group of tech stocks, have been almost rate insensitive in recent months, despite borrowing a deluge of new debt to fund the AI build-out.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
And unfortunately, sensitivity may suddenly develop in a person previously insensitive.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
