unempfindlich

Definition & meaning

The German adjective unempfindlich describes a state of being insensitive, unresponsive, or resistant to external influences, stimuli, or feelings. It can be used in several contexts:

1. Physical insensitivity: Lacking the ability to feel physical sensations such as pain, cold, heat, or touch (e.g., "His skin is insensitive to the cold").
2. Emotional or psychological insensitivity: Being indifferent, callous, or not easily affected by emotions, criticisms, or the feelings of others.
3. Resilience or resistance: Being sturdy and not easily damaged by environmental factors (e.g., "This material is resistant to scratches").

Grammar & Word origin

The word is an adjective formed by the prefix un- (meaning not) + empfindlich (sensitive). The root is the verb empfinden ↗, which means to sense or feel.

• Grammar: It is a regular adjective that can be used attributively (e.g., "ein unempfindliches Material") or predicatively (e.g., "er ist unempfindlich"). It is often used with the preposition "gegen" to indicate what the subject is resistant to (e.g., "unempfindlich gegen Kälte").

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

• gefühllos ↗ (emotionally indifferent or physically numb)
• hartgesotten ↗ (hardened or thick-skinned)
• resistent ↗ (resistant to external factors)
• abgebrüht ↗ (jaded or callous)
• unerschütterlich ↗ (unshakable)

Antonyms:

• empfindlich ↗ (sensitive or delicate)
• sensibel ↗ (sensitive or emotionally aware)
• dünnhäutig ↗ (thin-skinned or easily offended)
• anfällig ↗ (susceptible or prone to)