unmoved

unmoved — adjective

1. showing no sadness, sympathy, or other emotional reaction when something upsetti

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

showing no sadness, sympathy, or other emotional reaction when something upsetting, surprising, or sad happens

Example

Christopher was unmoved by his teammate's tears after the loss.

The judge remained unmoved by the young man's emotional plea for mercy.

collocation: remain unmoved + by + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • unmoved by
  • remain unmoved
  • leave [sb] unmoved
  • seem unmoved
  • completely unmoved
Synonyms
  • unaffected

    more neutral; simply states that something had no impact, without implying it should have

  • indifferent

    stronger negative connotation; suggests a lack of concern or caring

  • unemotional

    describes a personality trait or communication style rather than a reaction to a specific event

  • stoic

    more positive; implies strength and self-control in hardship

Antonyms
  • moved

    direct opposite; feeling emotional, especially sadness or sympathy

  • touched

    implies a gentle, warm emotional response rather than strong sadness

Grammar Patterns

be + unmoved + by + noun phrase

remain + unmoved

leave + object + unmoved

Usage Note

Commonly found with the preposition 'by' (unmoved by something) or after linking verbs such as 'remain' and 'seem'. The word is almost always predicative — it appears after a verb rather than directly before a noun (e.g., 'she was unmoved', not 'an unmoved woman').

Common Mistakes

The cat sat unmoved on the sofa all afternoon.
The cat sat still on the sofa all afternoon.
'Unmoved' refers to emotions, not physical stillness or lack of movement.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All these words describe a lack of emotional reaction, but with important differences. 'Unaffected' is the most neutral — it simply states that something did not have an impact ('The news left her unaffected'). 'Indifferent' suggests a lack of concern, often with a negative judgment ('He seemed indifferent to the suffering around him'). 'Unemotional' describes a personality or a deliberate choice to suppress feelings ('She gave a calm, unemotional report'). 'Stoic' carries a more positive connotation, implying strength and self-control ('He remained stoic throughout the difficult meeting'). 'Unmoved' is most specific: it implies the situation would normally stir emotion, but the person did not respond ('She was unmoved by the heartfelt apology').

unaffected ↗indifferent ↗unemotional ↗stoic

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • unmoved by + noun phrase

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Formed in English by adding the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') to 'moved', the past participle of 'move'. The emotional sense of 'move' — to affect someone's feelings — dates back to the 13th century. 'Unmoved' in this emotional sense has been used in English since at least the 15th century.