inhuman
adjective
in·hu·man
(ˌ)in-ˈhyü-mən 
-ˈyü-
1
a
: lacking pity, kindness, or mercy : savage
an inhuman tyrant
b
: cold, impersonal
his usual quiet, almost inhuman courtesy—
F. Tennyson Jesse
F. Tennyson Jesse
c
: not worthy of or conforming to the needs of human beings
inhuman living conditions
2
: of or suggesting a nonhuman class of beings
inhumanly
adverb
Examples of inhuman in a Sentence
He let out an inhuman moan.
She had an almost inhuman desire to succeed.
Recent Examples on the Web
The idea the director had proposed to Laura, once they’d been put in touch by a photography student of his at Parsons for whom Laura had done a bit of writing, was to shoot the film from the vantage point of an inhuman and ubiquitous force.
—Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Mahmoud described the conditions as inhuman and unprofessional, saying he was shoved and kicked by prison guards and police inside the Russian Compound, where he was held.
—Leila Fadel, NPR, 14 Feb. 2025
In two cases from Nepal, initiated in 2012 and 2014, the U.N. Human Rights Committee — an independent body that monitors compliance with international human rights law — found that cruel, inhuman treatment of human remains amounted to cruel, inhuman treatment of the family of the deceased.
—Tyler McBrien, The Dial, 28 Jan. 2025
The terrible beauty in his films usually came at a steep cost, in human or, rather, inhuman cruelty, violence, pathology.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inhuman
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Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Mahmoud described the conditions as inhuman and unprofessional, saying he was shoved and kicked by prison guards and police inside the Russian Compound, where he was held.
—Leila Fadel, NPR, 14 Feb. 2025
In two cases from Nepal, initiated in 2012 and 2014, the U.N. Human Rights Committee — an independent body that monitors compliance with international human rights law — found that cruel, inhuman treatment of human remains amounted to cruel, inhuman treatment of the family of the deceased.
—Tyler McBrien, The Dial, 28 Jan. 2025
The terrible beauty in his films usually came at a steep cost, in human or, rather, inhuman cruelty, violence, pathology.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inhuman
Cite this Entry
“Inhuman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inhuman. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inhuman
adjective
in·hu·man
(ˈ)in-ˈhyü-mən
-ˈyü-
1
a
: lacking pity or kindness : savage
b
: lacking human warmth : impersonal
c
: not fit for human needs
inhuman conditions
2
: unlike what is typically human
an inhuman cry
inhumanly
adverb
inhumanness
noun
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