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 …

—Arthur Conan Doyle

c

: meaningless

a senseless murder

senselessly adverb

senselessness noun

Synonyms of senseless

• 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

Her stint in gritty BBC drama Damilola, Our Loved Boy retold one of Britain’s most tragic cases involving the senseless killing of a young boy and earned her her first BAFTA. —Kemi Alemoru, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2026

The editorial board has offered tone-deaf takes on the Iran war detached from its grotesque, senseless reality. —Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026

End these stupid, senseless wars. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026

Except Valentin would then offer just one more drink and drug his dates senseless, officials familiar with a widening investigation into his behavior claim. —Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026

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