unsympathetic

adjective

ˌən-ˌsim-pə-ˈthe-tik How to pronounce unsympathetic (audio)
Definition of unsympatheticnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unsympathetic The normally prickly and unsympathetic Harriet Oleson (Katherine MacGregor) switches gears into hero mode, rounding up the town's men to scour the countryside for the children who've become trapped. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026 But the global fame that Back to Black brought the London songstress only seemed to exacerbate her issues with addiction, and broadcast them to the world via a cruelly unsympathetic tabloid media ecosystem. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 29 June 2026 The administration has been unsympathetic to Ukraine. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026 The litigation made both of them look unsympathetic, Lovell said. — Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsympathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsympathetic
  1. ruthless
  2. icy
  3. hostile
  4. negative
  5. merciless
  6. frigid
  7. unfavorable
  8. stony
Adjective
  • Today, it is widely known that coal miners of the 19th and early 20th centuries experienced ruthless exploitation and hazardous working conditions.
    — Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Involuntary bumping is more ruthless, denying boarding to passengers in a joyless game of musical plane seats.
    — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruthless
Adjective
  • Available both in the restaurant and the cafe at All Mart’s entrance, this icy dessert has a floral cardamom flavor and a slight crunch from its dusting of pistachios.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But there’s no icy chill to his vision, only the glib confidence that a feel-good montage or a piercing Anohni and the Johnsons ballad will blind us to his film’s lack of human connection.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of icy
Adjective
  • Defeat effectiveness exceeded approximately 75 to 80 percent, while operator observations indicated the system was even more effective at preventing hostile UAS from successfully completing their missions.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Yet another challenge came from the local community, which has historically been hostile to new development.
    — Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • The other was secured partly by a stake in a private equity management company, with a negative pledge on the owner’s team stake, meaning the owner agreed not to pledge it to anyone else.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Charlotte de Brabandt has undergone years of cancer treatment and multiple surgeries after she was diagnosed with a rare form of triple negative, stage 3, inflammatory breast cancer in 2022 at the age of 35.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of negative
Adjective
  • It would be seen as a work of merciless autofiction in the vein of Karl Ove Knausgaard, and it would be discussed, as his books are, as aggressive, antisocial, and spiteful.
    — B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In the story, Ria teams up with her foster mother and their fellow punks to resist a merciless developer intent on tearing down their building.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of merciless
Adjective
  • The flexible modules survived thermal shock cycles from frigid lows to extreme heat and passed the rigorous IEC 63163 international stability standard.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The frigid temperatures—while denied by Customs and Border Protection—show up consistently in detainee reports and in the reports of visiting officials or journalists.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of frigid
Adjective
  • But in a midterm environment broadly seen as unfavorable to Republicans, Democrats see a competitive opportunity to flip control of Congress amid growing economic discontent over rising gas and fertilizer costs in the agriculture-heavy state.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The Falcons’ bout with the 49ers appeared unfavorable on paper.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfavorable
Adjective
  • Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.
    — Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
  • Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.
    — Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
Definition of stony

Browse Nearby Words

unsymmetrical
unsympathetic
unsystematic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unsympathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsympathetic. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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