imperceptive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- imperception noun
- imperceptively adverb
- imperceptiveness noun
- imperceptivity noun
Etymology
Origin of imperceptive
First recorded in 1655–65; im- 2 + perceptive
Explanation
Have you ever lost something, only to find out it was under your nose the whole time? If so, you were being imperceptive. Imperceptive means "unobservant." The word imperceptive is built from the prefix im-, meaning "not," and perceptive, meaning "able to discern or understand." While a perceptive person notices the subtle hints and details around them, someone who is imperceptive may overlook even the obvious. The word is often used to describe someone who misses social cues or details. So if you’re imperceptive, you might need a friend to point out that your shirt is on inside out — again!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She was flinty in a way that the willfully imperceptive could easily mistake for chipper.
From New York Times • Oct. 5, 2017
Our only full confidence is that the NFL will never stop being duplicitous, hypocritical and imperceptive.
From Washington Times • Apr. 10, 2017
Her eye wandered; the hand to which Angelina clung was an abstract, imperceptive hand—Angelina and Rose were free to pursue their own train of fancy—the garden was at their service.
From The Golden Scarecrow by Walpole, Hugh, Sir
What a poor maimed creature, to be so blind, so imperceptive, to the greatest thing in the world!
From Love and hatred by Lowndes, Marie Belloc
This to my critic was a proof that Mr. Strachey was imperceptive and vulgar—“common” the ugly word is.
From The Invisible Censor by Hackett, Francis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
