Inhuman
/ɪnˈhjuːmən/
Definitions
2 meaningsLacking qualities of humanity, such as kindness and compassion; cruel and brutal.
/ɪnˈhjuːmən/
Lacking compassion or kindness; cruel.
The conditions in the prison were inhuman.
💡 Simply: Being mean and nasty, like when someone doesn't care about hurting other people's feelings or safety. Think of a bully.
👶 For kids: Being mean or cruel and not caring about other people's feelings.
More Examples
The story depicted an inhuman act of cruelty.
His inhuman treatment of the animals caused public outrage.
How It's Used
"The dictator's actions were widely condemned as inhuman."
"The treatment of prisoners was considered inhuman and violated international law."
Not human; belonging to a being or thing that is not human.
/ɪnˈhjuːmən/
Not human; alien.
The creature possessed an inhuman intelligence.
💡 Simply: When something is not human, like a superhero's powers or a creature from another planet.
👶 For kids: Not like a human; maybe a monster or something from space!
More Examples
The hero's inhuman abilities allowed him to overcome the challenge.
The story presented an inhuman antagonist.
How It's Used
"The alien race was described as having inhuman strength and agility."
Synonyms
From Middle English *inhuman*, from Old French *inhumain*, from Latin *inhūmānus* ('not human, savage'), from *in-* ('not, un-') + *hūmānus* ('human').
The word 'inhuman' has been used since the 14th century to describe actions or qualities that lack compassion. It gained increased usage during periods of conflict to describe acts of brutality.
Memory tip
Imagine an in-person robot; they lack human emotions. In-human.
Practice
Word Origin
Prefix: in-