unsympathetic

Unsympathetic is an adjective that describes a lack of sympathy or concern for others. It can refer to a person’s character or to a response, remark, or action that fails to show compassion, pity, or understanding toward another’s feelings or circumstances.

The term often conveys a cold, harsh, or unfeeling attitude. It is commonly used to critique behavior that is indifferent to others’ needs or to describe judgments that seem unsympathetic or unsentimental. For example, an unsympathetic judge may be perceived as unyielding, while an unsympathetic remark dismisses someone’s concerns.

Pronunciation: /ˌʌn.sɪmpəˈθɛt.ɪk/. The word is formed in English from the prefix un- attached to sympathetic, which itself traces to Latin sympathia from Greek sympatheia, via Latin and French influences. The term is typically used in formal or critical contexts.

Related terms include sympathetic, compassion, and empathy. Antonyms include callous, indifferent, unfeeling. The phrase unsympathetic to is used to indicate opposition or lack of support for a position or cause.