inhuman
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
very cruel and lacking any kindness or pity for other people.
lacking humanity, kindness, or compassion; characterized by extreme cruelty or brutality.
Simple“The soldiers were accused of treating their prisoners in an inhuman way.”
In context“The report detailed the inhuman treatment of refugees at the border, sparking an international outcry for immediate policy reform.”
PitfallThe prisoners were kept in unhuman conditions. The prisoners were kept in inhuman conditions.Use 'inhuman' for cruel or brutal conditions; 'unhuman' is rare and usually means 'not human in form'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
seeming like it does not come from a human, often because it is strange, cold, or very powerful.
differing from or transcending the nature of a human being; often used to describe sounds, strength, or coldness.
Simple“A strange, inhuman scream came from the dark woods behind the house.”
In context“The athlete moved with almost inhuman speed, leaving his competitors so far behind that the crowd fell into a stunned silence.”
SynonymsAntonyms
From Middle English inhumayne, from Middle French inhumain and its etymon Latin inhūmānus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.