unsympathetic
adjective
un·sym·pa·thet·ic
ˌən-ˌsim-pə-ˈthe-tik 
: not given to, marked by, or arising from sympathy : not sympathetic
an unsympathetic bystander
an unsympathetic review
Synonyms
- affectless
- callous
- case-hardened
- cold-blooded
- compassionless
- desensitized
- hard
- hard-boiled
- hard-hearted
- heartless
- indurate
- inhuman
- inhumane
- insensate
- insensitive
- ironhearted
- merciless
- obdurate
- pachydermatous
- pitiless
- remorseless
- ruthless
- slash-and-burn
- soulless
- stony
- stoney
- stonyhearted
- take-no-prisoners
- thick-skinned
- uncharitable
- unfeeling
- unmerciful
- unsparing
Examples of unsympathetic in a Sentence
gave them an unsympathetic look and pointed out that they'd brought the problem on themselves
an aloof and unsympathetic man who does not engage in small talk
a bohemian artist who found the unsympathetic environment of the small town too much to bear
an unsympathetic reaction to her proposal to ban trans fats from the company cafeteria
Recent Examples on the Web
Using a card to tip was often impossible and could even elicit eye rolls from an unsympathetic bartender.
—
Anthony Palazzo, Fortune Europe, 10 May 2024
Daniel La Spata, 1st, chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety and someone who has shown himself to be unsympathetic when road changes lead to a loss of parking for local businesses, is pushing this idea.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2024
Even Justice Clarence Thomas, who often votes with Alito, seemed unsympathetic to a separate standing argument, namely that the organization that brought the case on behalf of the doctors incurred concrete injury because of the cost of bringing the litigation.
—Noah Feldman, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
In a similar vein, Holzer observes that Lincoln was unsympathetic toward Native Americans and that his expansive view of immigration largely excluded those from Asia and Spanish America.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Feb. 2024
Palm Royale, which Wiig also executive produces, makes use of some of the SNL alumna’s particular gifts, like her knack for physical comedy and her ability to find the humanity in a character doing something unsympathetic, in this case lying and scheming to be accepted by a group of wealthy women.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile, Jennifer Crumbley's trial left her husband with a road map of potential pitfalls, and key questions to consider: Should the father testify and risk coming off as unsympathetic or unreliable like his wife did, as the jury foreperson stated?
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024
The Republican Party once defined itself by its opposition to Russian aggression, but the current House of Representatives is often sympathetic to Putin—and nearly always unsympathetic to Biden’s requests for funding.
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
The prime minister at the time, Boris Johnson, was unsympathetic, making jokes about bacon sandwiches coming from dead pigs and refusing to engage with the distinction between pointless, unprocessed killing due to a labor shortage and slaughter for processing.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024
Anthony Palazzo, Fortune Europe, 10 May 2024
Daniel La Spata, 1st, chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety and someone who has shown himself to be unsympathetic when road changes lead to a loss of parking for local businesses, is pushing this idea.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2024
Even Justice Clarence Thomas, who often votes with Alito, seemed unsympathetic to a separate standing argument, namely that the organization that brought the case on behalf of the doctors incurred concrete injury because of the cost of bringing the litigation.
—Noah Feldman, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
In a similar vein, Holzer observes that Lincoln was unsympathetic toward Native Americans and that his expansive view of immigration largely excluded those from Asia and Spanish America.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Feb. 2024
Palm Royale, which Wiig also executive produces, makes use of some of the SNL alumna’s particular gifts, like her knack for physical comedy and her ability to find the humanity in a character doing something unsympathetic, in this case lying and scheming to be accepted by a group of wealthy women.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile, Jennifer Crumbley's trial left her husband with a road map of potential pitfalls, and key questions to consider: Should the father testify and risk coming off as unsympathetic or unreliable like his wife did, as the jury foreperson stated?
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024
The Republican Party once defined itself by its opposition to Russian aggression, but the current House of Representatives is often sympathetic to Putin—and nearly always unsympathetic to Biden’s requests for funding.
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
The prime minister at the time, Boris Johnson, was unsympathetic, making jokes about bacon sandwiches coming from dead pigs and refusing to engage with the distinction between pointless, unprocessed killing due to a labor shortage and slaughter for processing.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsympathetic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unsympathetic
Cite this Entry
“Unsympathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsympathetic. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
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