desensitized

adjective

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

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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 desensitized Although today’s audiences might be more desensitized to such gruesome scenes thanks to hyperrealistic special effects in modern horror movies, and the commonplace spread of graphic clips online, audiences of the ‘80s were reportedly traumatized and scandalized. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 While the effects of violent media on viewers are notoriously hard to study, some evidence suggests that some audiences can become desensitized to the real-world consequences of unhealthy and violent content. — Cynthia Chris, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desensitized
  1. ruthless
  2. merciless
  3. stony
  4. insensitive
  5. callous
  6. hard
Adjective
  • He was always destined to follow in the footsteps of another tyrannical, ruthless Don – Michael Corleone.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Ink finds the Sinners star playing ruthless tabloid editor Larry Lamb in Boyle’s retelling of what happened when Rupert Murdoch acquired struggling British newspaper The Sun.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruthless
Adjective
  • In Braun’s script, the merciless obstacle course of singlehood seems just absurd.
    — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Regehr was relentless and merciless, and Oilers fans had to witness it over and over again.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of merciless
Adjective
  • Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.
    — Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
  • Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.
    — Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
Definition of stony
Adjective
  • As documented in a pair of articles published earlier this month in the daily newspaper Der Standard, the controversy is wrapped up in the insensitive way in which the show is being marketed.
    — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Video of the incident was widely circulated on social media platforms like X, with Gibson condemned for his insensitive actions.
    — Zack Sharf, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of insensitive
Adjective
  • Just not as much as the callous bosses who created this indefensible, toxic situation and the fanatics who once cheered it.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This is a callous continuation of the ongoing campaign by the same individuals and groups targeting Jewish people and the state of Israel, a pattern of antisemitism and misinformation that puts our community in grave danger.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of callous
Adjective
  • Michael Mankins and Matthew Crupi want value maximization back as the objective, with stakeholder commitments as hard or soft constraints.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Hrgović landed one, two, three hard right hands late in the round.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of hard

Browse Nearby Words

deselects
desensitized
desert
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Desensitized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desensitized. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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