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

unsympathetically

ˌən-ˌsim-pə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

commenting unsympathetically

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

In any event, Khalil is, by any metric, a wildly unsympathetic figure. —Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025

There are storylines about professional rivals and potential office couples, maneuvering around difficult clients and unsympathetic judges. —Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025

Without the protections of Sullivan, journalists could easily find themselves in front of unsympathetic juries. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025

Across his four-feature filmography, Eggers’s female characters can be selfish and inscrutable, but that is almost always in reaction to unsympathetic, patriarchal societies. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unsympathetic

• aeromagnetic
• antiemetic
• antipathetic
• apologetic
• biogenetic
• biomimetic
• biosynthetic
• cytogenetic
• diagenetic
• diamagnetic
• diaphoretic
• epigenetic