unkind

This term describes a lack of warmth or a deliberate choice to be cold toward others. It often implies a sharpness in tone or a disregard for another person's feelings, though it is generally softer than the word cruel. It is frequently used in social settings to describe a lapse in etiquette or a momentary burst of mean-spiritedness. In a professional or formal context, calling someone unkind is a polite way of describing antisocial or abrasive behavior without using aggressive legal or clinical terminology. It suggests a moral failing in the realm of empathy rather than a violent or malicious intent.