unresponsive

adjective

un·​re·​spon·​sive ˌən-ri-ˈspän(t)-siv How to pronounce unresponsive (audio)
: not responsive
The patient was unresponsive.
an infection unresponsive to antibiotics
an unresponsive bureaucracy
Although they are able to locate their own food at two weeks of age, fledgling robins will still piteously beg handouts from their increasingly unresponsive father.Millard H. Sharp
unresponsively adverb
staring unresponsively
unresponsiveness noun

Examples of unresponsive in a Sentence

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.
He was found unresponsive and pronounced dead by the Miami Fire Rescue Department Monday afternoon, according to ICE. Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 27 June 2025 When he was found unresponsive on June 23, ICE said medical staff responded immediately and began performing CPR. Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025 Daniel Park, 32, was found unresponsive at the Metropolitan Detention Center around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and pronounced dead at a hospital, the U.S. Justice Department said. Phil Helsel, NBC news, 26 June 2025 Daniel Park, 32, was found unresponsive at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, officials said. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for unresponsive

Word History

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unresponsive was in 1768

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unresponsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unresponsive. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Medical Definition

unresponsive

adjective
un·​re·​spon·​sive ˌən-ri-ˈspän(t)-siv How to pronounce unresponsive (audio)
: not responsive (as to a stimulus or treatment)
an unresponsive ulcer
unresponsiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unresponsive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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