1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
gave them an unsympathetic look and pointed out that they'd brought the problem on themselves
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in icy
lacking in friendliness or warmth of feeling
an aloof and unsympathetic man who does not engage in small talk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
a bohemian artist who found the unsympathetic environment of the small town too much to bear
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in negative
opposed to one's interests
an unsympathetic reaction to her proposal to ban trans fats from the company cafeteria
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsympathetic
Perhaps the most succinct way to illustrate the difference is that Kiritsis really did seem crazy and thus, unsympathetic.
—
Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Jan. 2026
Noah Baumbach loves to find sympathy in unsympathetic subjects—the awkward title character of Greenberg, the caustic writer played by Nicole Kidman in Margot at the Wedding, the bitter divorced couple of Marriage Story.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2025
Many young consumers, already juggling high costs for food, rent, and education, and crushed by an unsympathetic labor market, are entering adulthood with the self-care budget of a socialite twice their age.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
The petulant, back-stabby intrigue between various parties here sometimes makes the hero rather unsympathetic, with photogenic singer-actor Pena Hernandez’s puppyish turn not conveying a great deal of complexity, let alone artistic o intellectual potential.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsympathetic
Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Jan. 2026
Noah Baumbach loves to find sympathy in unsympathetic subjects—the awkward title character of Greenberg, the caustic writer played by Nicole Kidman in Margot at the Wedding, the bitter divorced couple of Marriage Story.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2025
Many young consumers, already juggling high costs for food, rent, and education, and crushed by an unsympathetic labor market, are entering adulthood with the self-care budget of a socialite twice their age.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
The petulant, back-stabby intrigue between various parties here sometimes makes the hero rather unsympathetic, with photogenic singer-actor Pena Hernandez’s puppyish turn not conveying a great deal of complexity, let alone artistic o intellectual potential.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsympathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsympathetic
Adjective
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Others think Davie’s ruthless headcount reductions led to a brain drain, which in turn precipitated editorial errors that ultimately led to his resignation.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
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Typewriters, stationery, fine-art museums, the quintessential impressionist painter—these are all associated with taste, beauty, and craft, as well as with intentionality and care, the opposite of the ruthless technological efficiency that repels many from generative AI.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Ladytron willed themselves into existence some 25 years ago, writing their names in the residue of icy-hot heroes like Kraftwerk, Soft Cell, and Gina X.—
Jesse Dorris,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
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This matter is the result of gases emitted by the Saturnian moons, particularly Enceladus, which is known to spray out icy plumes that originate from its subsurface ocean.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The 45th president’s victory in the crowded 2016 primary effectively toppled the existing Republican Establishment, injecting the party with a combination of populism and distrust that was especially hostile to the way things were done before.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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Customers will keep fighting back with dirty returns, unused reservations and hostile reviews.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Court records and large-scale studies indicate that elite colleges’ race-aware and holistic admissions systems have operated as a negative factor for Asian American applicants, contributing to lower admission/attendance odds than similarly qualified white applicants.—
David Blobaum,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
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Apple’s latest iPhone software update is drawing attention—some of which is negative—not just for its incremental upgrades, but also for a shift in how users interact with one of its core apps.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The end was swift and merciless.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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And the bracket carnage was swift and merciless.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The collision underscores the growing battle in the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean over the future of Antarctic krill, a shrimplike crustacean central to the diet of whales and critical buffer to global warming that's also in demand for use in health supplements, fishmeal and other products.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Arizona might be warmer this time of year, but Chicago Cubs starter Jameson Taillon was happy to be dealing in frigid Wrigley Field on Tuesday night.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Missing the deadline can lock beneficiaries into unfavorable drug coverage for the year.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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But soon after, the city offered different rulings unfavorable to the Eddses as to where the boundaries are and where the couple could develop.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Except every movie tends to get five buckets, while the rest of their time curdles into Tim sharing too much about his personal life as Gregg stares on, his stony, Buster Keaton-like face saying nothing and everything.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
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That same stony resistance stymied Henry’s next attempt at commercial success, a parasol with a snap-on cover that could be changed to match a woman’s outfit.—
Shoshi Parks,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsympathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsympathetic. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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