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.
Kline was found lying unresponsive in the street near her home’s driveway with a head wound. Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025 When police arrived, Owens was unresponsive. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025 But Hatton missed an appearance at an event a day later and his manager had arrived at his house on the morning of the 14th to take him to a flight to Dubai, where Hatton was found unresponsive. Ben Morse, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025 Anaheim Police confirmed that the woman was unresponsive after exiting the ride, and that Disneyland security administered CPR until first responders rushed her to the hospital. Jack Dunn, Variety, 16 Oct. 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 24 Oct. 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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