in ‧ sen ‧ si ‧ tive /ɪnˈsensətɪv, ɪnˈsensɪtɪv/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ sensible , ↑ insensible , ↑ senseless , ↑ sensitive ≠ ↑ insensitive , ↑ sensory , ↑ nonsensical , ↑ insensate ; noun : ↑ sense ≠ ↑ nonsense , ↑ sensibility ≠ ↑ insensibility , ↑ sensitivity ≠ ↑ insensitivity , ↑ senselessness , ↑ sensitization , ↑ sensor ; adverb : ↑ sensibly , ↑ senselessly , ↑ sensitively ≠ ↑ insensitively ; verb : ↑ sense , ↑ sensitize ]
1 . not noticing, or not taking the care to notice, other people’s feelings, and not realizing when they are upset or when something that you do will upset them:
One insensitive official insisted on seeing her husband’s death certificate.
an insensitive remark
insensitive to
She’s totally insensitive to Jack’s feelings.
2 . [not before noun] not paying attention to what is happening or to what people are saying, and therefore not changing your behaviour because of it
insensitive to
Companies that are insensitive to global changes will lose sales.
The service is insensitive to the needs of local people.
3 . [not before noun] not affected by physical effects or changes
insensitive to
insensitive to pain
—insensitively adverb
—insensitivity /ɪnˌsensəˈtɪvəti, ɪnˌsensɪˈtɪvəti/ noun [uncountable]
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THESAURUS
■ unintentionally unkind
▪ thoughtless/inconsiderate not thinking about the effects of your actions on other people:
It was inconsiderate of him not to say that he would be late.
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a thoughtless disregard for other people’s feelings
▪ tactless someone who is tactless carelessly says or does things that are likely to upset someone, without realizing what they are doing:
How could you be so tactless?
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a tactless question
▪ insensitive behaving in a way that is likely to upset someone, or not seeming to care about someone’s feelings. Insensitive is rather a formal word:
The article is insensitive to the family and friends of the victim.
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He later admitted that some of his remarks were ‘insensitive’.