senseless

adjective

sense·​less ˈsen(t)s-ləs How to pronounce senseless (audio)
: destitute of, deficient in, or contrary to sense: such as
a
: unconscious
knocked senseless
b
: foolish, stupid
it was some senseless practical jokeA. Conan Doyle
c
: meaningless
a senseless murder
senselessly adverb
senselessness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The creepy image of Anthony Perkins' shadow on the shower curtain and the bloody, senseless killing is still effective. Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025 This was a senseless and tragic loss. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025 The man stands just beyond a vivid swirl of similarly unclothed American Indians with discolored bodies, a jarring imagining of the senseless violence and disease that ravaged the Ohlone people, who first settled in the coastal Northern California land that now comprises much of the Bay Area. Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025 Many Iranians who hate their government nonetheless cheered the end of the war, and decried the senseless death of their countrymen at the hands of a faraway government whose concern for Iranian life was open to doubt. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for senseless

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of senseless was circa 1547

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Senseless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senseless. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

senseless

adjective
sense·​less ˈsen(t)-sləs How to pronounce senseless (audio)
1
: unconscious entry 1 sense 2
knocked senseless
2
3
: pointless sense 1, meaningless
a senseless act
senselessly adverb
senselessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on senseless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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