Wiktionary

inhuman

See also: inhumane

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English inhumayne, from Middle French inhumain and its etymon Latin inhūmānus.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ɪnˈhjuːmən/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -uːmən

Adjective

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inhuman (comparative more inhuman, superlative most inhuman)

  1. Of or pertaining to inhumanity and the indifferently cruel, sadistic or barbaric behavior it brings.
    • 2023 February 8, Greg Morse, “Crossing the border... by Sleeper”, in RAIL, number 976, page 45:
      It was replaced by a New Euston, "bold in design and layout and in keeping with a new railway era". Betjeman was unmoved, describing it tersely as "no masterpiece" and noting that its lack of platform seating made it an "inhuman structure" which seemed to ignore passengers.
  2. Transcending or different than what is human.
    • 1832, David Herbert Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover‎[1], McFarland, page 209:
      When he was out among men, seeking his own ends, and “making good! his colliery workings, he had an almost uncanny shrewdness, hardness, and a straight sharp punch. It was as if his very passivity and prostitution to the Magna Mater gave him insight into material business affairs, and lent him a certain remarkable inhuman force.
    • 1853, Charles Dickens, Bleak House‎[2], Houghton Mifflin Company, page 11:
      The organism that embraces this theme in its devious ramifications is the great business house of Dombey and Son, symptom and epitome of selfish money power and warping tyranny. And the special symbol that spells wreckage, devastation, and the unleashed violence of the inhuman force that thus came to possess mankind is that new monster of the mid-nineteenth-century world, heartless embodiment of mechanized energy, the railroad —the same railroad so often pictured in the Punch of those days or in the maledictions of Ruskin as a glaring, headlit engine of destruction, gouging open the green English landscape or the outposts of London, riding down the lives of men, and bringing the smoke and soot of industrialism in its wake: the dragon of a world grown heartless and of a future that promised to become more heartless still.
    • 1913, Romain Rolland, Jean-Christophe: Journey's End: Love and Friendship, the Burrning Bush, the New Dawn‎[3], Henry Holt Company, page 151:
      However, Christophe, having less penetration than Francoise, said to himself that love is a blind, inhuman force, throwing those together who cannot bear with each other. Love joins those together who are like each other. And what love inspires is very small compared with what it destroys. If it be happy it dissolves the will.
    • 1915, George A. Birmingham, Gossamer‎[4], Methuen Company, Limited, pages 284-285:
      He sees their actions conditioned and to gome extent controlled by the influences of majestic inhuman powers, the genii of Eastern tales, huge, cloud-girt spirits of oppressive solemnity. In reality most people wear motley all day long and the fairy powers are leprechauns, tricksy irresponsible sprites, willing enough to make merry with those who can laugh with them; but players of all Puck’s tricks on “wisest aunts telling saddest tales".
    • 1920, The Saturday Evening Post‎[5], G. Graham, page 147:
      “Well, so you are,’ Martha answered. ‘It struck me once or twice. You don’t ook like him, but you’ve got the same voice ind walk and you appear to have the same ‘ort of inhuman strength. Look at this.”
    • 1921, The Independent 1921-12-03: Volume 106, Issue 3794‎[6], Open Court Publishing Company, page 147:
      For Eugene O’Neill the sea is usually the constant symbol of these eternal realities, the inhuman powers of nature against which men and women must measure their puny strength.

Usage notes

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See nonhuman § Usage notes.

Antonyms

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Translations

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See also

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Galician

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Verb

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inhuman

  1. third-person plural present indicative of inhumar

German

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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inhuman (strong nominative masculine singular inhumaner, comparative inhumaner, superlative am inhumansten)

  1. inhumane
    Antonym: human

Declension

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Positive forms of inhuman
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist inhuman sie ist inhuman es ist inhuman sie sind inhuman
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative inhumaner inhumane inhumanes inhumane
genitive inhumanen inhumaner inhumanen inhumaner
dative inhumanem inhumaner inhumanem inhumanen
accusative inhumanen inhumane inhumanes inhumane
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der inhumane die inhumane das inhumane die inhumanen
genitive des inhumanen der inhumanen des inhumanen der inhumanen
dative dem inhumanen der inhumanen dem inhumanen den inhumanen
accusative den inhumanen die inhumane das inhumane die inhumanen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein inhumaner eine inhumane ein inhumanes (keine) inhumanen
genitive eines inhumanen einer inhumanen eines inhumanen (keiner) inhumanen
dative einem inhumanen einer inhumanen einem inhumanen (keinen) inhumanen
accusative einen inhumanen eine inhumane ein inhumanes (keine) inhumanen
Comparative forms of inhuman
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist inhumaner sie ist inhumaner es ist inhumaner sie sind inhumaner
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative inhumanerer inhumanere inhumaneres inhumanere
genitive inhumaneren inhumanerer inhumaneren inhumanerer
dative inhumanerem inhumanerer inhumanerem inhumaneren
accusative inhumaneren inhumanere inhumaneres inhumanere
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der inhumanere die inhumanere das inhumanere die inhumaneren
genitive des inhumaneren der inhumaneren des inhumaneren der inhumaneren
dative dem inhumaneren der inhumaneren dem inhumaneren den inhumaneren
accusative den inhumaneren die inhumanere das inhumanere die inhumaneren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein inhumanerer eine inhumanere ein inhumaneres (keine) inhumaneren
genitive eines inhumaneren einer inhumaneren eines inhumaneren (keiner) inhumaneren
dative einem inhumaneren einer inhumaneren einem inhumaneren (keinen) inhumaneren
accusative einen inhumaneren eine inhumanere ein inhumaneres (keine) inhumaneren
Superlative forms of inhuman
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist am inhumansten sie ist am inhumansten es ist am inhumansten sie sind am inhumansten
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative inhumanster inhumanste inhumanstes inhumanste
genitive inhumansten inhumanster inhumansten inhumanster
dative inhumanstem inhumanster inhumanstem inhumansten
accusative inhumansten inhumanste inhumanstes inhumanste
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der inhumanste die inhumanste das inhumanste die inhumansten
genitive des inhumansten der inhumansten des inhumansten der inhumansten
dative dem inhumansten der inhumansten dem inhumansten den inhumansten
accusative den inhumansten die inhumanste das inhumanste die inhumansten
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein inhumanster eine inhumanste ein inhumanstes (keine) inhumansten
genitive eines inhumansten einer inhumansten eines inhumansten (keiner) inhumansten
dative einem inhumansten einer inhumansten einem inhumansten (keinen) inhumansten
accusative einen inhumansten eine inhumanste ein inhumanstes (keine) inhumansten

Further reading

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  • “inhuman” in Duden online
  • “inhuman” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Spanish

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Verb

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inhuman

  1. third-person plural present indicative of inhumar
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