Prepositions after adjectives

Unsympathetic to vs. unsympathetic towards

Unsympathetic usually takes to or towards when describing a lack of understanding or support. Other prepositions are less common and often have separate meanings.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows unsympathetic?

Use unsympathetic to or unsympathetic towards for people, ideas, or situations. Towards is slightly more common in British English. About, in, and as are not usual complements after unsympathetic.

The manager was unsympathetic to staff concerns.
She seemed unsympathetic towards the proposal.
He was unsympathetic to their difficulties.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
unsympathetic to + person/idea

Showing lack of sympathy or support

Use unsympathetic to before people, requests, opinions, or problems.

The board was unsympathetic to the complaints.
He remained unsympathetic to reform efforts.
2
unsympathetic towards + person/group

Using a slightly more formal variant

Towards has a similar meaning to to and is common in British English.

She sounded unsympathetic towards younger workers.
3
unsympathetic about + topic

Referring to attitude in a discussion

About is uncommon directly after unsympathetic but may appear when discussing a topic rather than a target.

They were unsympathetic about further spending cuts.
4
unsympathetic in + manner

Describing behaviour in a situation

In usually introduces the manner or context, not a fixed complement.

He was unsympathetic in his response.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
unsympathetic to
The editor was unsympathetic to the writer's concerns.
standard and widely used pattern
unsympathetic towards
They seemed unsympathetic towards refugees.
same general meaning, slightly more formal or British
unsympathetic about
She sounded unsympathetic about the proposal.
less common; about refers to the topic discussed
unsympathetic in
He was unsympathetic in his comments.
in introduces manner or context
unsympathetic as
The phrase unsympathetic as is not a normal adjective pattern.
as is generally not used directly after unsympathetic

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using as after unsympathetic

Unsympathetic normally takes to or towards.

✕ She was unsympathetic as my concerns. ✓ She was unsympathetic to my concerns.

Confusing about with to

To is the normal choice for the target of sympathy.

✕ The teacher was unsympathetic about the students. ✓ The teacher was unsympathetic to the students.

Using in as the main complement

In usually adds context, not the object of sympathy.

✕ He was unsympathetic in their problems. ✓ He was unsympathetic to their problems.

Avoiding towards in British English

Towards is fully standard, especially in British English.

✓ The audience was unsympathetic towards the speaker.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The company was unsympathetic ___ workers' requests.
2. She sounded unsympathetic ___ the new policy.
3. He was unsympathetic ___ his reply.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is unsympathetic to more common than unsympathetic towards?

Both are standard. To is often more neutral, while towards is especially common in British English.

Can I use unsympathetic about?

Yes, but it is less common and usually refers to the topic being discussed.

Does unsympathetic always mean unkind?

Not always. It can simply mean lacking support, understanding, or agreement.

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account