adjective
insensible
in-SEN-suh-bul/ɪnˈsensəbl/
Without conscious perception or sensation.
The woman lies insensible while her companion kneels to check for a response.
Etymology
Here the negative prefix reverses sensible in its older sense “capable of feeling,” rather than “reasonable.” Lacking the power to sense leads naturally to the selected meaning of being unconscious or unaware.
In context
tiresome and deadening to be with people who cannot understand and will not even appear to be interested in your better thoughts it is almost repulsive to find a man insensible to all Beauty
More examples
- The cold leaves my fingertips insensible to touch.
- Absorbed in her work, she is insensible to the noise.
- He remains insensible to the suffering his decisions cause.
Forms
insensible
insensibility noun — A state of unconsciousness or absent feeling.
Similar words
- unconscious
- Emphasizes loss of awareness rather than localized physical sensation.
- numb
- Usually describes lost sensation without implying loss of consciousness.
- unaware
- Describes not noticing or knowing, without implying physical numbness.