senseless

adjective

sense·​less ˈsen(t)s-ləs 

: destitute of, deficient in, or contrary to sense: such as

a

: unconscious

knocked senseless

b

: foolish, stupid

it was some senseless practical joke

—A. Conan Doyle

c

: meaningless

a senseless murder

senselessly adverb

senselessness noun

Synonyms

• unconscious

Examples of senseless in a Sentence

Don't be such a senseless idiot!

she collapsed, senseless, after hitting her head

Recent Examples on the Web

If genre-faithful true crime seeks sense in motive, Kraus is seeking those senseless systems that both produce violence and strip it of meaning. —Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025

Brown bagging is one of those social practices that continues to feel senseless even after it’s been explained. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025

But what’s happening now in their lives is testimony to love and faith and resilience in the wake of such senseless tragedy. —Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025

Fort Worth community members reacted to the fatal shooting inside a West 7th bar early Sunday, with some calling it senseless violence as police work to find the suspects. —Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for senseless

• defenseless

Kids Definition

senseless

adjective

sense·​less ˈsen(t)-sləs 

1

: unconscious entry 1 sense 2

knocked senseless

2

: foolish, stupid

3

: pointless sense 1, meaningless

a senseless act

senselessly adverb

senselessness noun