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unsympathetic
/ ˌʌnsɪmpəˈθɛtɪk /
adjective
- not characterized by, feeling, or showing sympathy
- whenpostpositive, often foll by to or towards not showing agreement (with) or favour (towards)
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Example Sentences
One unsympathetic mayor took to Facebook to demand that “lazy” people get electricity and water on their own.
It's not that I'm unsympathetic if she's really having problems sleeping, it's just that it's fairly ridiculous for her to compare what she's going through to what parents of young children go through.
In front was a General Sessions Court judge, who was often unsympathetic to the defendants’ request to pay less per month than Methodist wanted.
He felt like the audience would have to maintain sympathy for Walter White as he was going about his very unsympathetic actions.
This polarizing public profile positioned Harroun as an unsympathetic character as his case progressed through the U.S. courts.
Asked why she often played somewhat unsympathetic characters like Em, or Mackenzie in The Newsroom, Mortimer seemed taken aback.
At least so far, however, Cohle seems to be something else entirely: a heroic guy who's nonetheless deeply unsympathetic.
Was there any sense from the start that the character would go further into the realm of being unsympathetic than on other shows?
"She's a moving picture actress or something, I'm sure of it," Grace confided in Betty's unsympathetic ear.
This declaration represents, however, the unconscious exaggeration of a mind unsympathetic towards religious ideas.
Better to have the protection of an unsympathetic sovereign than to become the prey of a lawless and irresponsible anarchy.
Stover suddenly perceived that his audience was unsympathetic.
Sir Gregory thought the withdrawal should not be accepted, having found Sir Timothy to be an unsympathetic colleague.
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More About Unsympathetic
What does unsympathetic mean?
Unsympathetic means not sharing the feelings of someone or identifying with, caring about, or having any favor or support for someone or something.
It’s the opposite of sympathetic, which most commonly means having sympathy—having the same emotions as someone else, especially sadness.
Being sympathetic in this way is usually understood to mean that you feel bad for someone because they are in a negative situation. Being unsympathetic is the opposite—you don’t feel sorry.
Sympathetic is also sometimes used to mean supportive of or loyal to someone or something. Being unsympathetic in this way means you are not at all supportive or loyal.
Sometimes, unsympathetic is used to describe a person (or fictional character) who you can’t identify with or don’t care about.
Example: I’m completely unsympathetic—he should have known better.
Where does unsympathetic come from?
The first records of unsympathetic come from the 1800s. The prefix un- means “not.” The base word, sympathetic, comes from the Greek sympathētikós, from sym-, “with,” and páth(os), “suffering.”
Sympathetic is usually used to describe someone who shares feelings of sadness with others. Someone who’s unsympathetic does not share this feeling. When we say someone is unsympathetic in this way, we may be saying they’re cruel, or we may be saying that they don’t think someone is worthy of their pity.
Calling someone an unsympathetic figure or an unsympathetic character is usually different. This means we think that other people can’t identify with them or care about them, often because they themselves are the ones who are cruel or uncaring toward others.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to unsympathetic?
- unsympathetically (adverb)
- sympathetic (adjective)
- sympathy (noun)
What are some synonyms for unsympathetic?
What are some words that share a root or word element with unsympathetic?
What are some words that often get used in discussing unsympathetic?
How is unsympathetic used in real life?
Unsympathetic is commonly used to describe people who don’t support or care about someone or something.
I find myself unsympathetic toward execs who burden their troops with 8 hours of meetings in a day and then complain that nothing got done
— Rick Gualtieri (@RickGualtieri) April 16, 2014
There is a disturbing prevalence of people who remain unsympathetic to civil rights issues that don't seem to impact them personally. My position is we should work harder to fight against discrimination that doesn't impact us personally bc we are then likely privileged by it.
— Jo Kaur (@SikhFeminist) February 14, 2019
State labor board rules Andover teachers held illegal strike but says it’s ‘not unsympathetic to the union’s concerns’ about health and safety https://t.co/lkEqy3BTOg
— masslivenews (@masslivenews) September 9, 2020
Try using unsympathetic!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of unsympathetic?
A. commiserating
B. uncompassionate
C. indifferent
D. insensitive
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