inhuman

/ɪnˈhjuːmən/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈhjuːmən/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)in-ˈhyü-mən -ˈyü-/ (ame, mw)

inhuman — adjective

  • inhumanpositive
  • more inhumancomparative
  • most inhumansuperlative

1. showing a complete lack of the kindness and compassion that most people would ex

1.形容詞B2
釋義

showing a complete lack of the kindness and compassion that most people would expect human beings to show toward one another

例句

What shocked the United Nations officials most was the inhuman way the prisoners were kept.

atypical fronting: 'What shocked... was the inhuman way'

No one could understand how a person could commit such an inhuman crime.

同義詞
  • brutal

    focuses on physical violence; less emotional than inhuman

  • savage

    suggests wild, primitive violence; stronger connotation of uncontrolled rage

  • merciless

    emphasises the refusal to show pity; can apply to a person's character directly

  • barbaric

    implies a lack of civilisation; often used for cultural practices considered cruel

反義詞
  • humane

    showing kindness and care for others, especially those who are suffering

  • compassionate

    actively caring about others' pain and wanting to help

文法句型

inhuman + noun (treatment, conditions, acts)

it is inhuman + to-infinitive

so inhuman that + clause

用法筆記

Subject is typically a situation, condition, or action — not usually a person's inherent nature. Compare with inhumane: inhuman is stronger and implies a shocking, extreme lack of humanity; inhumane focuses on the absence of compassion (e.g. 'inhumane working hours' vs 'inhuman acts of torture').

常見錯誤

❌The boss was inhuman to his employees' (sounds like the boss is not human at all).
✅The boss gave his employees inhuman working hours.
💡Inhuman describes the situation or action, not the person's character as a whole.
❌It is inhumane to kill someone for stealing bread.' (too weak).
✅It is inhuman to kill someone for stealing bread.
💡Use inhuman for actions that are shockingly cruel; use inhumane for a lack of kindness that falls short of extreme cruelty.

2. having an appearance, sound, or quality that is so strange or unnatural that it

2.形容詞B2
釋義

having an appearance, sound, or quality that is so strange or unnatural that it does not seem to belong to a human being

例句

An inhuman scream came from the dark forest, making everyone freeze where they stood.

describes an unnerving sound: inhuman + noun for sound

The old photograph showed a tall figure with an inhuman shape Salma could not explain.

同義詞
  • unnatural

    broader — can describe any deviation from nature, not just from human form

  • unearthly

    suggests something from outside the human world, often in a scary way

  • otherworldly

    can be positive or neutral; less frightening than inhuman

  • monstrous

    implies ugliness or evil, not just strangeness

反義詞
  • human

    relating to or typical of people

  • natural

    existing in nature and expected

文法句型

inhuman + noun (cry, scream, speed, shape)

so inhuman that + clause

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1 (EXTREMELY CRUEL), this sense carries no moral judgment — it describes something that is unsettling because it does not match a human appearance or quality. The non-human quality can be positive (inhuman beauty, inhuman talent) but is most often frightening.

常見錯誤

❌That robot is inhuman' (neutral description, confusing with 'non-human').
✅That robot moves with an inhuman grace that gives me chills.
💡Inhuman adds an emotional response of unease; non-human is a factual category.