Definition of insensiblenext
1
as in unconscious
having lost consciousness if a choking person is insensible, you should lay them down on their back before performing the Heimlich maneuver

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
as in insensate
lacking animate awareness or sensation even the canyon's insensible rocks seemed to mock the stranded climber's utter helplessness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
6

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 insensible In it, the man stumbles around, blinded by the sun, surrounded by insensible tourists. Merve Emre, New Yorker, 28 June 2026 Para añadir más ofensas, YouTube TV decidió tomar esta medida durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, un acto profundamente insensible y ofensivo. Todd Spangler, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025 Also invited, for insensible reasons, is Neville’s first wife, Audrey (Ella Lily Hyland), blond to Kay’s brunette, for easy identification. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025 The ‘real’ Camille, meanwhile, has become an insensible, comatose carcass, although no one seems to notice. Damon Wise, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025 Foreman tumbled downward in a dizzy, slow-motion-like crash, full-weight, a helpless giant, insensible. Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025 Or lobbyists can sometimes intervene and gain insensible exemptions from bans. IEEE Spectrum, 10 Feb. 2024 The novel positions him as insensible to agendas, hopelessly subject to the whims of the altruistic and the cruel. Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insensible
Adjective
  • Narges Mohammadi, 54, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, was temporarily released from prison for medical reasons earlier this year after falling unconscious and being transferred to a hospital.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Sharaf connected with a clean 1-2 combination, with the left hook turning Steveson’s head and leaving the Olympic gold medalist unconscious on the canvas.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • New leaders can lose credibility by fixing the visible technology before understanding the invisible dependencies around it.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Kyle Tucker has been terrible, then worse, then mostly invisible.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Then Gurov takes that famous bite of watermelon, a metaphor for what has just happened and his nonchalant reaction to it.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Zizou Bergs Zizou Bergs served nonchalant-cool boy vibes upon his arrival to New York City for the US Open, rocking an oversized charcoal graphic tee from Golden Goose paired with voluminous black trousers and his personalized Golden Goose shoes.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • This insensate gaze is one that cannot be returned, as Jacques Lacan observed of the camera pointed at him during his performative lecture Télévision, recorded in 1973 and broadcast on prime-time TV in France.
    Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The brain, like other internal organs, is insensate, its lack of sensory receptors attested by videos of virtuoso violinists who play on unfazed as neurosurgeons go to work inside their skulls.
    Matthew Ponsford, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • Perhaps her daughter-in-law is not vulgar but, rather, simple and spontaneous?
    Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Decide for yourself whether that’s a bold indicator of English football’s superiority over the rest of the world, or a revolting symbol of the bloated and vulgar behemoth that the game has become.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The old worst dressed lists could be cruel, sexist, culturally ignorant, and spectacularly misguided.
    Derek C. Blasberg, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Mamdani’s ignorant opinion illustrates Kissinger’s concern, relying on emotional display rather than the facts.
    Daniel Kolkey, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Behaviorists emphasized observable behavior, which could be measured experimentally, and generally avoided using imperceptible internal mental states to explain behavior.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Sep. 2026
  • That nearly imperceptible shift in the winds drifting from the nearest football stadium?
    Matt Piper, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Venus in your communication zone connects awkwardly with Uranus in your career sector, making a message, comment, post, or casual idea more visible than intended.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • These Pact leggings are designed for everyday wear and look great with oversized sweaters and knee-high boots, blousy tops and ballet flats, or sneakers and an oversized flannel shirt for a more casual ensemble.
    Jessie Quinn, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensible. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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