Unsympathetic — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Unsympathetic (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. 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"

   similar: affectless, callous, case-hardened, cold-blooded, compassionless, desensitized, hard, hard-boiled, hard-hearted, heartless, indurate, inhuman, inhumane, insensate, insensitive, ironhearted, merciless, obdurate, pachydermatous, pitiless, remorseless, ruthless, slash-and-burn, soulless, stony, stonyhearted, take-no-prisoners, thick-skinned, uncharitable, unfeeling, unmerciful, unsparing
   related: boorish, heedless, inconsiderate, thoughtless, uncaring, unfriendly, unloving, unthinking, grim, hard-bitten, harsh, heavy-handed, ironfisted, ironhanded, jackbooted, knock-down, drag-out, oppressive, rough, rough-and-tumble, severe, sledgehammer, stern, tough, ungentle, abusive, acrimonious, disagreeable, hateful, ill-natured, ill-tempered, malevolent, malicious, mean, rancorous, spiteful, surly, virulent, barbarous, bestial, brutal, brutish, cruel, evil-minded, savage, vicious, austere, cold, frosty
   opposite: charitable, compassionate, humane, kindhearted, kindly, merciful, sensitive, softhearted, sympathetic, tender, tenderhearted, warm, warmhearted
   near: benevolent, benignant, gentle, kind, clement, indulgent, lenient, mild, cordial, friendly, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, tolerant, understanding, affectionate, fond, loving

2. lacking in friendliness or warmth of feeling

   "an aloof and unsympathetic man who does not engage in small talk"

   similar: antiseptic, arctic, brittle, chill, chilly, clammy, cold, cold-blooded, cold-eyed, coldish, cool, frigid, frosty, frozen, gelid, glacial, hard-eyed, icy, uncordial, unfriendly, wintry
   related: bloodless, coldhearted, hard-hearted, heartless, kindless, pitiless, uncaring, unfeeling, reserved, soulless, undemonstrative, unemotional, unresponsive, apathetic, indifferent, unenthusiastic, uninterested, aloof, detached, dispassionate, impersonal, offish, standoffish, antisocial, unsociable, unsocial
   opposite: cordial, friendly, genial, happy, hearty, sympathetic, warm, warm-blooded, warmhearted
   near: compassionate, kind, kindhearted, demonstrative, emotional, expressive, eager, enthusiastic, passionate

3. marked by opposition or ill will

   "a bohemian artist who found the unsympathetic environment of the small town too much to bear"

   similar: adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, hostile, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced, mortal, negative, unfriendly
   related: adverse, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, clashing, combative, conflicting, contentious, contrary, disputatious, militant, opposed, pugnacious, quarrelsome, resisting, scrappy, truculent, antisocial, cold, cool, disagreeable, disapproving, distant, frigid, icy, biased, prejudiced, discourteous, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impertinent, impolite, inconsiderate, rude, surly, uncivil, unfavorable, unkind, unmannerly, unpleasant, unsociable, acrimonious, bitter, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, opprobrious, rancorous, spiteful, unloving, vindictive, virulent
   opposite: friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic
   near: affable, amiable, amicable, civil, companionable, comradely, convivial, cordial, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, gregarious, neighborly, pleasant, sociable, social, warm, affectionate, devoted, kind, kindly, loving, nice, sweet, accepting, agreeable, approving, benign, empathetic, favorable, understanding, warmhearted, welcoming

4. opposed to one's interests

   "an unsympathetic reaction to her proposal to ban trans fats from the company cafeteria"

   similar: adverse, counter, disadvantageous, hostile, inimical, negative, prejudicial, unfavorable, unfriendly, untoward
   related: bad, baleful, baneful, evil, damaging, deleterious, destructive, detrimental, fatal, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, lethal, malignant, murderous, noxious, pernicious, poisonous, ruinous, threatening, troublesome, unhealthy, wounding, dangerous, hazardous, imperiling, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe, calumnious, defamatory, detractive, offensive, scathing, slanderous, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, intolerant, uncongenial, uncooperative, competing, conflicting, counteracting, countering, opposing, resistant, resisting
   opposite: advantageous, favorable, friendly, positive, supportive, sympathetic, well-disposed
   near: beneficial, good, helpful, propitious, useful, harmless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, nondestructive, nonfatal, nonlethal, nonthreatening, unresistant, tolerant, understanding, affable, agreeable, amiable, amicable, benign, benignant, complying, congenial, cordial, friendly, hospitable