insensibility

noun

Definition of insensibilitynext
1
as in numbness
a lack of emotion or emotional expressiveness the husband's general insensibility is creating great tension in the marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trance
a temporary state of unconsciousness knocked into insensibility by the blow to the head

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of insensibility The famous Lord Chesterfield[5] counselled his son that he should never be seen to laugh; and that gravity with real or apparent insensibility is a universal characteristic of the savage. — Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensibility
  1. numbness
  2. trance
  3. apathy
  4. daze
  5. emptiness
  6. faint
  7. coldness
  8. syncope
Noun
  • According to the report, the boy first developed progressive facial numbness and tingling on the right side of his face, followed by loss of appetite, painful swallowing and vomiting.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Webb, the Oklahoma radiologist, documented four times that a patient lacked numbness, and yet his WISeR application was still denied, citing numbness, which, in the reviewer's interpretation, would rule out the spinal surgery procedure.
    — Darius Tahir, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Definition of numbness
Noun
  • Close Encounters was a different sort of dream, happily and wordlessly mysterious to the end, an orchestrated trance.
    — Geoffrey O’Brien, The New York Review of Books, 14 July 2026
  • Other pieces are more indebted to various forms of trance music found around the globe.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026
Definition of trance
Noun
  • From the outside, these behaviors may look like apathy, avoidance or poor leadership.
    — Jennifer Wisdom, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • That positive word of mouth would overcome the apathy towards the film's plot and the off-putting remarks from Alcock.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of apathy
Noun
  • Hospital staff lined up to sing and dance, celebrating their good fortune, as the pair looked on in a daze.
    — Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 24 June 2026
  • Summer Satur-daze Summer Music Series.
    — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 28 May 2026
Definition of daze
Noun
  • Gone are the extended multi-part suites and intricate guitar workouts, replaced by slight, tender melodies engulfed in a striking emptiness.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026
  • Years of waiting for his return were answered with disappointing emptiness, a frustration that could be permanent if McGregor never sets foot in another octagon.
    — Mark Puleo, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of emptiness
Noun
  • Starting and running a business isn’t for the faint of heart.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Some of the stadium prices aren’t for the faint of heart, with a water alone almost costing $10 and a birria quesadilla almost $30.
    — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2026
Definition of faint
Noun
  • Orris adds earthy depth, while a petrichor accord gives the scent an eerie coldness.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 15 July 2026
  • In this attitude was a strange commingling of repugnance and desire, alienation and belonging, intimacy and coldness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 July 2026
Definition of coldness
Noun
  • The company also flags baseline cardiac disease, abnormal ECG, arrhythmia, prior cervical vagotomy, abnormal cervical anatomy, brain tumor or aneurysm history, head trauma, syncope, seizures and nickel allergy as unevaluated risks.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
  • Vasovagal syncope is defined by the British National Health Service as a common type of fainting caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate.
    — Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Definition of syncope

Browse Nearby Words

insensibilities
insensibility
insensible
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on insensibility

Nglish: Translation of insensibility for Spanish Speakers

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