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 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 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 But the Cylinder Sling by Building Block flirts with such attitude without becoming rude or insensible. Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022 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
  • One of the individuals rescued was a 10-year-old boy, who was unconscious and admitted to a nearby hospital with several injuries, per VNExpress.
    Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 19 July 2025
  • The child, who was unconscious, received life-saving measures at the scene and was taken to Griffin Hospital before being transferred to Yale New Haven Hospital, according to DEEP.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
Adjective
  • For many Hoosiers, youth homelessness is an invisible issue.
    Ethan Hylton, IndyStar, 30 July 2025
  • From Assumption To Alignment: The Power Of Agreements Turning expectations into agreements is about making the invisible visible.
    Carrie-Ann Barrow, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • On vacation, Nicola Peltz styled hers in a breezy, nonchalant way, with a black tank and yellow paisley-print skirt.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 23 July 2025
  • The collection’s journey touched down in Argentina, the Scottish Highlands, as well as New Zealand and Australia, home of its merino wool, for a refined traveler’s wardrobe crafted from top-notch fabrications exuding nonchalant sophistication.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 8 July 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • But states have used midazolam alone — and at much higher doses — in executions since 2013, claiming the drug will render people insensate to pain before the administration of other lethal injection drugs.
    Lauren Gill, ProPublica, 29 Apr. 2023
Adjective
  • Because at the time, Madonna was seen as this controversial and sort of vulgar character.
    Terry Gross, NPR, 17 July 2025
  • Users must also opt-in to see the vulgar version of Bad Rudi, rather than a more family-friendly version known simply as Rudi.
    David Ingram, NBC news, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • Residents are far from ignorant of Michigan’s law on train blockages.
    Ayah Imran, Freep.com, 18 July 2025
  • With the current events unfolding in the U.S. (as well as the ongoing struggle for People of Color), Hightower didn’t want to be ignorant of what was happening in their country.
    Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • And to most of us, that lost time will be imperceptible.
    Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2025
  • This is a minute calculation that’s so small as to feel imperceptible and likely happens without much thought at all.
    Megan C. Reynolds, Time, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Popups and its popular Sunday Suppers offer another avenue for more casual dining.
    Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2025
  • Guests can choose from a variety of pastries and breakfast foods, coffee and more to keep things casual, or order from their selection of cocktails and wine.
    Ramal Nasim July 25, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insensible. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on insensible

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!