Insensitive means not noticing or caring how others feel. An insensitive remark, insensitive to their situation, deeply insensitive.
It is a criticism of awareness rather than of intention: an insensitive remark is usually careless rather than cruel, which is why calling something insensitive is a softer charge than calling it deliberate. In physical use it means not reacting to a stimulus — insensitive to pain, insensitive to light. Note insensitivity; and sensitive, which does the opposite work in both senses.
1adjectiveinsensitiveNot noticing or caring how others feel.
“It was insensitive of him to joke about her weight.”
synonyms: tactless, unfeeling
2adjectivereactingNot reacting to a stimulus.
“After the injection, his gums were insensitive to the dentist's drill.”
insensitive is a quality of unawareness.
Medieval Latin
sensitivus
Middle French
sensitif
English
sensitive
English, today
insensitive
From in- + sensitive. sensitive comes from Middle French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus. by surface analysis, sense + -ite + -ive.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA