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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Notably, they were managed by Albert Grossman—a highly unsympathetic figure in A Complete Unknown—who likely believed that anti-war protests were bad for business.
—
Nina Silber / Made By History, TIME, 25 Dec. 2024
People filled comment sections for videos and posts about the shooting with unsympathetic replies, pointing out UnitedHealthcare’s reputation for denying claims, and ruminating on how much suffering Thompson was responsible for at the helm of the company.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024
Conservative Supreme Court justices on Monday focused in on this same issue, but a majority of the bench was unsympathetic to the argument.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024
True-crime cases are always a mix of human interest and forensics, as evidenced by the series’s focus on the media’s portrayals of the Ramseys as unsympathetic.
—Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsympathetic 
Nina Silber / Made By History, TIME, 25 Dec. 2024
People filled comment sections for videos and posts about the shooting with unsympathetic replies, pointing out UnitedHealthcare’s reputation for denying claims, and ruminating on how much suffering Thompson was responsible for at the helm of the company.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024
Conservative Supreme Court justices on Monday focused in on this same issue, but a majority of the bench was unsympathetic to the argument.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024
True-crime cases are always a mix of human interest and forensics, as evidenced by the series’s focus on the media’s portrayals of the Ramseys as unsympathetic.
—Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsympathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsympathetic
Adjective
-
Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone are delicious as the two ruthless favorites of the monarch, who try to outmaneuver each other at all costs.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2025
-
With a seasoned detective (Schram) on the hunt for this ruthless killer, numerous suspects come to light, and each new revelation leads to a shocking twist.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Her makeup, too, was equally icy, with a metallic silvery-white shadow brushed under her brow as a highlight and dramatic black eyeliner winged all the way out to the outer corner of her brows, plus a pair of light blue-gray contacts enhanced by majorly fluttery, lush lashes.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
9 Dec. 2024
-
White cautioned those traveling north of Indianapolis this weekend, however, should be mindful of potentially snowier, icier road conditions.—
Christopher Cann,
The Indianapolis Star,
27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
But several of Barker’s best moments and best performances have come in high-pressure games or in hostile atmospheres.—
Oliver Kay,
The Athletic,
8 Feb. 2025
-
But what Briner sees as a way of enhancing opportunities for people and communities – defined in the law as social equity applicants – was viewed as hostile to those same applicants during testimony last week.—
Peter Callaghan,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The next play, I got trapped in the backfield and gained negative yards.—
Peter Ji,
Hartford Courant,
4 Feb. 2025
-
Hard water has a negative effect on our skin, exacerbating existing skin conditions such as dryness, eczema and deteriorating our hair.—
Samantha Mims,
Essence,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The temptation is too much for a merciless monarch to resist and she's briefed on the details of the team's counter-terrorism assignment.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2025
-
The merciless flames left gardeners, caregivers, domestic workers, child care providers and others without the tools needed to do their jobs.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC News,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Divers are still searching the frigid Potomac River for the remains of 12 people.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
2 Feb. 2025
-
The two aircraft plunged into the dark, frigid Potomac River.—
Ray Sanchez and Chelsea Bailey,
CNN,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In their poll conducted between January 22 and 27, Trump had ticked up to a favorability rating of +2, with 50 percent favorable and 48 percent unfavorable.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
-
There, 57% of men held a favorable view, while 55% percent of women held an unfavorable impression of him.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Besides pulling air from underground, the system will also be able to exchange hot and cold air between the two spaces, depending on the need.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2025
-
Around mid-March when consistently warm weather arrives, trim the plants back as needed while removing cold damage or declining leaves.—
Tom MacCubbin,
Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near unsympathetic
Cite this Entry
“Unsympathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsympathetic. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share