insensible

1 of 2

adjective

in·​sen·​si·​ble (ˌ)in-ˈsen(t)-sə-bəl How to pronounce insensible (audio)
Synonyms of insensiblenext
1
: incapable or bereft of feeling or sensation: such as
a
: lacking sensory perception or ability to react
insensible to pain
b
: unconscious
knocked insensible by a sudden blow
c
: not endowed with life or spirit : insentient
insensible earth
2
a
: unaware
insensible of their danger
b
: lacking emotional response : apathetic, indifferent
insensible to fear
3
: not intelligible : meaningless
4
: imperceptible
dampened by an insensible dew
broadly : slight, gradual
insensible motion
5
: lacking delicacy or refinement
6
archaic : stupid, senseless
insensibleness noun
insensibly adverb

insensibility

2 of 2

noun

in·​sensibility (¦)in How to pronounce insensibility (audio)
ən+
: the quality or state of being insensible: such as
a
: an unconscious or comatose state
b
: lack of physical feeling or sensitivity : an unresponsive or unreactive condition : insensitivity
marked insensibility to cold
increasing insensibility to stimuli
c
: lack of mental or emotional feeling or response : apathy
her complete insensibility to the honor done her

Synonyms of insensible

Examples of insensible in a Sentence

Adjective She was knocked insensible by the collision. if a choking person is insensible, you should lay them down on their back before performing the Heimlich maneuver
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin insensibilis, from in- + sensibilis sensible

Noun

Late Latin insensibilitas, from Latin insensibilis insensible + -itas -ity

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of insensible was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insensible. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

insensible

adjective
in·​sen·​si·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈsen(t)-sə-bəl How to pronounce insensible (audio)
1
: imperceptible sense 1
insensible motion
2
a
: not endowed with life or spirit : inanimate sense 1
b
: unconscious entry 1 sense 2
knocked insensible by the accident
c
: not able to feel or be aware of using a sense or senses
insensible to pain
3
: not aware of or caring about something
insensible to fear
insensible of their danger
insensibly adverb

Medical Definition

insensible

adjective
in·​sen·​si·​ble -ˈsen(t)-sə-bəl How to pronounce insensible (audio)
1
: incapable or bereft of feeling or sensation: as
a
: unconscious
knocked insensible by a sudden blow
b
: lacking sensory perception or ability to react
insensible to pain
c
: lacking emotional response : apathetic
2
: not perceived by the senses
insensible perspiration
insensibility noun
plural insensibilities

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