inhumane

adjective

in·​hu·​mane ˌin-(ˌ)hyü-ˈmān 

-(ˌ)yü-

: not humane : inhuman sense 1

the inhumane treatment of prisoners

inhumanely adverb

Synonyms

• affectless
• callous
• case-hardened
• cold-blooded
• compassionless
• desensitized
• hard
• hard-boiled
• hard-hearted
• heartless
• indurate
• inhuman
• 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
• unsympathetic

Examples of inhumane in a Sentence

inhumane wardens who regularly ignored the crying children in their care

an inhumane dictator who tortured and murdered thousands of his own people

Recent Examples on the Web

On Tuesday, the county agreed to a $30-million settlement for a federal class-action lawsuit filed in 2022 alleging inhumane conditions at the county’s two old halls — Central Juvenile Hall and Barry J. Nidorf — which the county was forced to close last year after similar issues with staffing. —Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

At the same time, the demand for cheap goods at breakneck pace is fostering working conditions that are inhumane. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024

The simple, joyful human moments at the beginning of the film are in stark contrast to the inhumane treatment shown later on. —Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 9 Dec. 2024

Assad’s notorious detention facilities were black holes where anyone deemed an opponent of the regime disappeared, with widespread reports of torture and inhumane conditions. —Rob Picheta, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French inhumain & Latin inhumanus

First Known Use

1536, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

inhumane

adjective

in·​hu·​mane ˌin-(ˌ)hyü-ˈmān 

-(ˌ)yü-

: not humane : inhuman sense 1

inhumane treatment of prisoners

inhumanely adverb