unloving

adjective

un·​lov·​ing ˌən-ˈlə-viŋ How to pronounce unloving (audio)
Synonyms of unlovingnext
: not loving or affectionate
an unloving spouse
unlovingly adverb
unlovingness noun

Examples of unloving in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Felix, whose childhood is revealed to have been unloving and unstable, seems to see in Jess something like instant security: not just a warm person with a home that’s much more welcoming than his chaotic squat full of eco-warriors, but an insta-family. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 17 July 2025 And at its head, always, sits Adele’s husband Caesar (Tommaso Ragno), a stern but not unloving patriarch with the sonorous voice of a man used to being obeyed, who runs the local one-room school where all of his kids, bar his youngest, sickly infant, are taught the same lessons regardless of age. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 2 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unloving was in the 15th century

Rhymes for unloving

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Browse Nearby Words

unlovely
unloving
unluck
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Cite this Entry

“Unloving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unloving. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

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