Insensitive vs Sympathetic - What's the difference?
insensitive | sympathetic |
Not expressing normal physical feeling
* 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula
Not expressing normal emotional feelings; cold; tactless; undiplomatic
* 1895, Grant Allen, The British Barbarians
* 1994, Jann Arden, "Insensitive" (song)
Of, related to, showing, or characterized by sympathy.
Of or relating to similarity.
As adjectives the difference between insensitive and sympathetic
is that insensitive is not expressing normal physical feeling while sympathetic is of, related to, showing, or characterized by sympathy.insensitive
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- It is something like the way dame Nature gathers round a foreign body an envelope of some insensitive tissue which can protect from evil that which it would otherwise harm by contact.
- Somehow, when Bertram Ingledew let it once be felt he did not wish to be questioned on any particular point, even women managed to restrain their curiosity: and he would have been either a very bold or a very insensitive man who would have ventured to continue questioning him any further.
- Oh I really should have known by the time you drove me home, / By the vagueness in your eyes, your casual good-byes, / By the chill in your embrace and the expression on your face, / That told me you might have some advice to give / On how to be insensitive .
Synonyms
* unaffectedAntonyms
* sensitivesympathetic
English
Alternative forms
* sympathetick (obsolete)Adjective
(en adjective)- John looked very upset. I gave him a sympathetic look.
- Sympathetic magic is based on imitation or correspondence.