Adjacent Words

Insensible definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INSENS'IBLE, a. [L. in and sensus, sense, sentio, to feel.]
1. Imperceptible; that cannot be felt or perceived. The motion of the earth is insensible to the eye. A plant grows, and the body decays by insensible degrees. The humors of the body are evacuated by insensible perspiration.
The dense and bright light of the circle will obscure the rare and weak light of these dark colors round about it, and render them almost insensible.
2. Destitute of the power of feeling or perceiving; wanting corporeal sensibility. An injury to the spine often renders the inferior parts of the body insensible.
3. Not susceptible of emotion or passion; void of feeling; wanting tenderness. To be insensible to the sufferings of our fellow men is inhuman. To be insensible of danger is not always evidence of courage.
4. Dull; stupid; torpid.
5. Void of sense or meaning; as insensible words.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: incapable of physical sensation; "insensible to pain"; "insensible earth" [ant: sensible, sensitive]
2: unaware of or indifferent to; "insensible to the suffering around him" [syn: insensible, unaffected]
3: barely able to be perceived; "the transition was almost indiscernible"; "an almost insensible change" [syn: indiscernible, insensible, undetectable]
4: unresponsive to stimulation; "he lay insensible where he had fallen"; "drugged and senseless" [syn: insensible, senseless]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin insensibilis, from in- + sensibilis sensible Date: 14th century 1. imperceptible <dampened by an insensible dew>; broadly slight, gradual <insensible motion> 2. incapable or bereft of feeling or sensation: as a. not endowed with life or spirit ; insentient <insensible earth> b. unconscious <knocked insensible by a sudden blow> c. lacking sensory perception or ability to react <insensible to pain> 3. a. lacking emotional response ; apathetic, indifferent <insensible to fear> b. unaware <insensible of their danger> 4. archaic stupid, senseless 5. not intelligible ; meaningless 6. lacking delicacy or refinement • insensibility noun • insensibleness noun • insensibly adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 a without one's mental faculties; unconscious. b (of the extremities etc.) numb; without feeling. 2 (usu. foll. by of, to) unaware; indifferent (insensible of her needs). 3 without emotion; callous. 4 too small or gradual to be perceived; inappreciable. Derivatives: insensibly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF insensible or L insensibilis (as IN-(1), SENSIBLE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Insensible In*sen"si*ble, a. [L. insensibilis: cf. F. insensible. See In- not, and Sensible.] 1. Destitute of the power of feeling or perceiving; wanting bodily sensibility. --Milton. 2. Not susceptible of emotion or passion; void of feeling; apathetic; unconcerned; indifferent; as, insensible to danger, fear, love, etc.; -- often used with of or to. Accept an obligation without being a slave to the giver, or insensible to his kindness. --Sir H. Wotton. Lost in their loves, insensible of shame. --Dryden. 3. Incapable of being perceived by the senses; imperceptible. Hence: Progressing by imperceptible degrees; slow; gradual; as, insensible motion. Two small and almost insensible pricks were found upon Cleopatra's arm. --Sir T. Browne. They fall away, And languish with insensible decay. --Dryden. 4. Not sensible or reasonable; meaningless. [Obs.] If it make the indictment be insensible or uncertain, it shall be quashed. --Sir M. Hale. Syn: Imperceptible; imperceivable; dull; stupid; torpid; numb; unfeeling; apathetic; stoical; impassive; indifferent; unsusceptible; hard; callous.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Imperceptible, imperceivable, not discoverable. 2. Insensate, dull, stupid, torpid, brutish, senseless, without sensibility. 3. Unfeeling, apathetic, phlegmatic, unsusceptible, unimpressible.

Moby Thesaurus

a stranger to, abiotic, absorbed, anesthetic, anesthetized, apathetic, asleep, azoic, behind the curtain, behind the scenes, benumbed, blind, blind to, blindfold, blindfolded, bloodless, blunt, callous, camouflaged, caught napping, cold, comatose, concealed, cool, dead, dead to, deadened, deaf, deaf to, dim-sighted, disguised, dispassionate, dull, dumb, emotionless, engrossed, exanimate, hard, hardened, hidden, impalpable, impassible, impassive, imperceptible, imperceptive, impercipient, impervious, imponderable, in ignorance of, inanimate, inanimated, inappreciable, incognizant, inconsiderate, indifferent, indiscernible, indurated, inert, insensate, insensible to, insensitive, insentient, intangible, intent, invisible, latent, lifeless, lost to, mind-blind, mindless, mute, myopic, napping, nearsighted, nonconceiving, nonconscious, nonliving, nonunderstanding, not with it, numb, numbed, obdurate, oblivious, obtuse, out, out cold, out of it, out of sight, pachydermatous, phlegmatic, preoccupied, purblind, rapt, rocky, secret, senseless, shortsighted, sightless, soulless, stoic, stolid, submerged, thick-skinned, thick-witted, thoughtless, torpid, unaffected, unanimated, unapparent, unappreciable, unapprehending, unaware, unaware of, unbeheld, unbeholdable, uncomprehending, unconscious, unconscious of, undiscernible, undiscerning, unfeeling, unfelt, unhearing, uninsightful, unknowing, unmindful, unmindful of, unmoved, unnoticed, unobservable, unobserved, unperceivable, unperceived, unperceiving, unperceptive, unprehensive, unrealized, unrealizing, unseeable, unseeing, unseen, unsusceptible, unsuspecting, untouched, unviewed, unwitnessed, unwitting, viewless, witless