desensitized

adjective

Definition of desensitizednext
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings having lived through the horrors of war, the soldiers had seemingly become desensitized to virtually all human suffering

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desensitized
  1. ruthless
  2. merciless
  3. insensitive
  4. hard
  5. callous
Adjective
  • The lawyer who normally practices in New York is gregarious, quick with a joke and always happy to talk to the media, but can be ruthless in cross-examination.
    Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
  • City are going through some stuff, Arsenal aren’t ruthless enough, Chelsea are wobbling, teams will figure out how to beat Nottingham Forest soon enough, Newcastle are the form team now but are an Alexander Isak injury away from trouble.
    Carl Anka, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
Definition of ruthless
Adjective
  • The community that had long been home to hundreds of entertainment industry workers was engulfed by a wildfire whipped into a merciless inferno by 80-mile an hour winds.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Scarcity of food and clean water have become merciless tormentors, and the numbers tell a story that words cannot fully convey.
    Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Definition of merciless
Adjective
  • The remark underscores the importance of careful diplomacy and respect for sovereignty, especially in Latin America, where these insensitive statements strike a raw nerve.
    Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
  • The 2012 campaign was marked by an early effort by Democrats to tar Mr. Romney as an insensitive, rapacious businessman willing to send jobs overseas.
    Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
Definition of insensitive
Adjective
  • Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.
    Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023
  • Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Definition of hard
Adjective
  • You son’s reaction is needlessly callous, to you and to your friend.
    R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Postponing means the people behind this callous attack win.
    Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 1 Jan. 2025
Definition of callous
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near desensitized

deselects

desensitized

desert

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Cite this Entry

“Desensitized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desensitized. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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