Insensitive To: Standard Pattern
Insensitive To: Standard Pattern records the directly documented construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced complement pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.
Use “insensitive to” when someone fails to respond appropriately to feelings, complaints, effects, pain, or another stimulus.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| failing to notice/respond appropriately to feelings, effects, pain, or a stimulus | insensitive to + noun | Use “insensitive to.” |
| causing hurt because of conduct toward a person | insensitive toward/to someone | Choose wording that reflects the intended relation. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does the complement name the feeling, effect, complaint, pain, or stimulus that is not being adequately noticed or responded to?
If yes: Use “insensitive to” plus that noun phrase.
If no: If you mean rude conduct toward a person rather than lack of response to a stimulus, phrase the relationship explicitly.
Caveat: The adjective can describe both social insensitivity and reduced response to a stimulus; context should make the sense clear.
Examples
The proposal was insensitive to local concerns.
The concerns are what the proposal fails to take into account.
Some users may be insensitive to the vibration.
The stimulus is introduced by “to.”
The remark was insensitive to her situation.
The situation is what the remark fails to consider appropriately.
Further guidance
Construction
Use “insensitive to” when someone fails to respond appropriately to feelings, complaints, effects, pain, or another stimulus.
Style Boundary
The construction covers both social lack of sensitivity and lack of physical or material response; context determines the sense.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- INSENSITIVE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press & Assessment · Cambridge dictionary evidence for insensitive to as a documented construction.