adj
inhuman
ihn-HYOO-muhn
adj
1
Shockingly cruel or brutal, lacking normal human kindness.
"The prisoners were kept in inhuman conditions."
"It was an inhuman act of violence against innocent civilians."
How to Use Inhuman
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSo cruel it seems to go beyond what a decent human being would do.
Common mistake
Don't mix up with inhumane, which specifically means causing needless suffering (e.g., inhumane treatment of animals); inhuman is broader and can also just mean "not human-like."
Easily confused with
inhumane
Common pairings
inhuman conditions
inhuman cruelty
inhuman treatment
Word Forms
more inhuman comparative, most inhuman superlative
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Etymology
From Latin inhumanus, "not human" — in- ("not") plus humanus.