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unfeelingly

unfeelingly

7.5
In a way that does not show care or kindness
  • adverb
  • /ʌnˈfiːlɪŋli/
translation icon : fríamente
  • It gets under my skin to see him act so unfeelingly toward his mother.

Examples

  • Joel had acted selfishly and unfeelingly during the meeting.

  • "If he beats you, I'll send for Jerome," she said unfeelingly, and bobbed a hasty curtsy in the general direction of the Earl before making a fast exit.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • He hadn't heard my approach, and what struck me was the gentleness of his hands as I stood watching, the long fingers not unfeelingly tearing the string beans from the bushes but detaching them as if showing both respect and regret at the violation.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • It gets under my skin to see him act so unfeelingly toward his mother.

  • She unfeelingly rejected his plea for help, leaving him feeling abandoned.

Synonyms

callously
vsunfeelingly
7 7.7

In a way that shows no care for other people's feelings

is less actively cruel and more about lacking feeling or compassion
impassively
vsunfeelingly
4 6.8

In a way that shows no feeling or reaction

includes refusal to show sympathy or compassion beyond calmness
bloodedly
vsunfeelingly
1 9.9

In a cold way that shows no care for other people's feelings

highlights lack of sympathy and compassion rather than only coldness
unemotionally
vsunfeelingly
1 5.0

In a calm way that does not show feelings

also implies absence of sympathy or compassion, adding moral coldness
heartlessly
vsunfeelingly
1 6.1

In a way that shows no kindness or care

expresses absence of feeling without the added cruelty or meanness
stonily
vsunfeelingly
1 8.0

In a cold, unfriendly way that shows no feeling

includes missing sympathy and compassion beyond mere cold appearance
unsympathetically
vsunfeelingly
1 6.6

Without showing care for someone's feelings

adds general emotional coldness not only lacking sympathy
apathetically
vsunfeelingly
1 7.3

In a way that shows no interest or energy

implies absence of sympathy and compassion, not just lack of interest
emotionlessly
vsunfeelingly
6.9

Without showing any feeling

includes lack of sympathy and compassion beyond mere absence of feeling
inexpressively
vsunfeelingly
7.4

In a way that shows no feeling on the face

adds missing sympathy and compassion to mere lack of expression
unaffectionately
vsunfeelingly
7.7

In a way that shows little warmth or care

focuses on missing warmth rather than the wider lack of compassion
aseptically
vsunfeelingly
8.6

In a cold, clinical way that shows no feeling

applies to ordinary emotional absence, not clinical detachment

Antonyms

feelingly
  • Archaic
1 6.7

In a way that shows strong feeling

How Compassionate

unfeelingly
7.5
coldly
30 4.0
callously
7 7.7

Surface Forms

unfeelingly positive
unfeelinglier comparative
unfeelingliest superlative

Morphology

unfeelingly = unfeeling (transparent) = un + feeling + ly

The adverb is formed regularly by adding '-ly' to the adjective 'unfeeling', which itself is transparently 'un-' + 'feeling'.

Etymology

The word unfeelingly is made from un- meaning 'not', feeling from 'feel', and -ly which turns it into a word that tells how something is done. So it means 'in a not-feeling way', which is why it describes acting with no emotion or sympathy.