Meaning & use
insensitive
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Meanings
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Showing little understanding of or care for how other people feel.
Grammar: Often followed by to or about: insensitive to her grief.
Patterns
- insensitive to someone
- insensitive about something
It was insensitive of him to joke about her illness.
The advertisement was criticized as insensitive to people in mourning.
Her insensitive remark made the room fall silent.
adjectiveafter a verbmedicaltechnical
Unable to feel or react to a physical effect such as pain, heat or light.
Grammar: Usually followed by to: insensitive to pain.
Patterns
- insensitive to something
After the injury, his hand became insensitive to cold.
The old film was insensitive to low light.
Word forms
| comparative | more insensitive |
|---|---|
| superlative | most insensitive |
Common combinations
- insensitive remark
- His insensitive remark about her weight upset her.
- insensitive to criticism
- A leader should not be insensitive to criticism.
- culturally insensitive
- The costume was culturally insensitive.
- deeply insensitive
- The timing of the announcement was deeply insensitive.
- insensitive to pain
- The injection left the area insensitive to pain.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tactless
- Tactless means saying the wrong thing in a social moment, whereas insensitive describes a deeper lack of care.
- thoughtless
- Thoughtless suggests carelessness without ill will, and insensitive suggests failing to notice feelings.
- callous
- Callous is much harsher and describes someone who is cold and cruel on purpose.
- unfeeling
- Unfeeling suggests a person who appears to have no emotion, a stronger impression than insensitive.
Opposites
Word family
- insensitivity noun
- lack of concern for others' feelings
- insensitively adverb
- in a way that ignores feelings
- sensitive adjective
- aware of or easily affected by feelings
- sensitivity noun
- care for others' feelings, or readiness to react
Commonly confused: insensitive or insensible? insensitive or nonsensical?
insensitive vs insensible
Insensible means unconscious or unaware of something, and sounds like insensitive but is less often used for lacking tact.
insensitive vs nonsensical
Nonsensical means making no sense, which is a different idea from lacking care.
Practice
Telling a grieving friend to cheer up was ___ of him.
Choose one answer.
Insensitive describes a lack of care for feelings and fits it was ___ of him; insensible means unconscious, and insensitivity is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “insensitive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.