ENGLISH
REFERENCE

insensitive

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌɪnˈsɛnsətɪv// UK //ɪnsˈɛnsɪtˌɪv// in·sen·si·tive

adj. not noticing or caring about other people's feelings. You use this to describe someone who says or does something that might hurt or upset others without realizing it.

adj. showing a lack of awareness or concern for the feelings and circumstances of others. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be' or 'seem'.


SIMPLE

He made an insensitive remark about her new haircut.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager's insensitive comments about the recent layoffs caused a significant drop in team morale.

COMPLEX

While his critique was technically accurate, the insensitive delivery ignored the immense effort the team had invested, leading to a breakdown in professional trust.

Antonyms
Origin

From in- + sensitive.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'to' when describing a lack of physical or emotional awareness.

Pitfall

He was insensitive for my feelingsHe was insensitive to my feelingsWhen describing a lack of awareness toward a specific thing, use the preposition 'to' rather than 'for'.

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