imperceptive

adjective

ˌim-pər-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce imperceptive (audio)
Definition of imperceptivenext
as in unperceptive
not having or showing a deep understanding of something imperceptive critics who failed to see that it was much more than another mindless action movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperceptive
  1. unperceptive
  2. unwise
  3. stupid
  4. silly
  5. dumb
  6. foolish
Adjective
  • Memory, conveyed by an unperceptive, mechanically flowing camera, seems disconnected from culture.
    — Armond White, National Review, 19 Nov. 2021
  • He could not be seen, just as the little black boy was not seen, or was seen inaccurately, by the unperceptive and disdainful white boy.
    — Louise Glück, The New York Review of Books, 14 Jan. 2021
Definition of unperceptive
Adjective
  • Needless to say, that would have been unwise for a city with a credit rating perched precariously just above junk status.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • Somebody sat in the room where Paynter's oncology program died and agreed that unbillable was the same as unwise — and that person was not a spreadsheet.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of unwise
Adjective
  • Parametric modeling, especially when weighted down with decades of AutoCAD’s stupid UI/UX choices, was even harder than programming.
    — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026
  • The simplest explanation is that Vance believes his voters are stupid.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • This year’s list includes what may be America’s last remaining players with free 2020 eligibility (silly us, thinking that ended last year) — and even a few who began their careers in the 2010s.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Depp engaged the crowd with silly skits for nearly half a hour.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • Still crazy enough to do something dumb, but mature enough to curb your impulses.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
  • Instead of the Tech Right making the conservative movement smarter, the conservative movement seemed to be making the Tech Right dumber.
    — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
Definition of dumb
Adjective
  • Johnson continued this week to push for his foolish and counterproductive desire to impose a $33-per-month tax on each Chicago job generated by the city’s largest private-sector employers.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
  • As is, this is a foolish thriller that prompts the occasional snicker but not much more.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Definition of foolish
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.

Browse Nearby Words

imperceptibly
imperceptive
impercipient
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Imperceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperceptive. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All