insensible

adjective

in·sen·si·ble | \ (ˌ)in-ˈsen(t)-sə-bəl

Definition of insensible

1 : imperceptible dampened by an insensible dew broadly : slight, gradual insensible motion

2 : incapable or bereft of feeling or sensation: such as

a : not endowed with life or spirit : insentient insensible earth

b : unconscious knocked insensible by a sudden blow

c : lacking sensory perception or ability to react insensible to pain

3a : lacking emotional response : apathetic, indifferent insensible to fear

b : unaware insensible of their danger

4 archaic : stupid, senseless

5 : not intelligible : meaningless

6 : lacking delicacy or refinement

Other Words from insensible Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about insensible

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Other Words from insensible

insensibility \ (ˌ)in-ˌsen(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

insensibleness \ (ˌ)in-ˈsen(t)-sə-bəl-nəs

\ noun

insensibly \ (ˌ)in-ˈsen(t)-sə-blē

\ adverb

Synonyms & Antonyms for insensible

Synonyms

cold, senseless, unconscious

Antonyms

conscious

Examples of insensible in a Sentence

She was knocked insensible by the collision. if a choking person is insensible, you should lay them down on their back before performing the Heimlich maneuver

Recent Examples on the Web

The sentimental, emotional bits have happened hours before, and people have just been getting sloshed, insensible and furiously frolicsome. — Christopher Arnott, courant.com, "Review: ’Mamma Mia’ a crowded, loud party at CT Rep," 10 June 2019 But there was one class of people who were apparently insensible to the Canyon: copper miners. — Amanda Foreman, WSJ, "In Awe of the Grand Canyon," 25 July 2018 Beauty companies are not insensible to this predicament. — Cristina Mueller, Town & Country, "Beauty and the Bees," 6 Dec. 2012 Often animals from these woods were imagined as insensible beasts. — Ankita Chakraborty, Longreads, "A Crocodile In Paris: The Queer Classics of Qiu Miaojin," 8 June 2018 Although the bulb of the follicle is alive, the hair shaft is dead and insensible. — Katy Waldman, Slate Magazine, "Siri Hustvedt’s preening essays take their author’s own brilliance as their main subject.," 13 Jan. 2017 Eclipses happen because every now and then, in predictable but still primally unsettling cycles, a warm, bright, life-giving object is obscured by a dark, dead, insensible rock. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, "Trump's Anti-Obama Eclipse Meme Doesn't Make Scientific Sense," 24 Aug. 2017 The process exposes birds to a gas mixture that renders them insensible to pain or distress before slaughter. — The Washington Post, AL.com, "Perdue Farms unveiling more humane chicken slaughtering methods," 17 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insensible.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.