Crossword Dictionary
UNFEELING
unfeeling - a
devoid of feeling or sensation; "unfeeling trees"
Synonyms
affectless, callous, case-hardened, cold-blooded, compassionless, desensitized, hard, hard-boiled, hard-hearted, heartless, indurate, inhuman, inhumane
Examples
The concept of a kiss off letter may appear cruel and unfeeling but there are many reasons to send one.
Spielberg intended the film to look dreamy and somewhat unfeeling, leaving only certain shots to be dynamic.
He maintained that only human beings can reason, that animals are unfeeling machines; and condoned cruel experiments on dogs and cats.
Etymology
late Old English had unfelende, "having no sensation." Middle English had a verb unfeel "be insensible, fail to feel" (early 14c.) as well as unfeelingness "insensibility, loss of sensation," and unfeelingly "without understanding or direct knowledge" (late 14c.), and a verbal noun unfeeling "loss of sensation, lack of feeling." However the word in its main modern meaning "devoid of kindly or tender feelings" is from 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of feel (v.). Related: Unfeelingly.