senseless
Americanadjective
-
destitute or deprived of sensation; unconscious.
- Synonyms:
- insensible, insensate
-
lacking mental perception, appreciation, or comprehension.
- Synonyms:
- undiscerning, unperceiving
- Antonyms:
- sensitive
-
stupid or foolish, as persons or actions.
- Antonyms:
- intelligent
-
nonsensical or meaningless, as words.
This letter is either cryptic or senseless.
adjective
-
lacking in sense; foolish
a senseless plan
-
lacking in feeling; unconscious
-
lacking in perception; stupid
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of senseless
Explanation
Senseless things have no meaning — you can't easily explain why they happen. Senseless people, on the other hand, are simply unconscious. This adjective often describes something terrible or violent, like a senseless accident or the senseless destruction of a city. It can also mean "done without thinking," or "lacking understanding," so a senseless student will give the teacher a blank look when their name is called, and a hiking trip across the Rockies in the winter would be senseless too. The "unconscious" meaning is the oldest, dating from the 1550s.
Vocabulary lists containing senseless
Power Suffix: -less
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -less
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-less
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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.
"It's senseless really, but I think it is born out of frustration," she said.
From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026
Federal opposition leader Pierre Poilievre called it a "senseless act of violence."
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026
He said he was canceling all meetings with Iranian officials “until the senseless killing of protesters stops.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
Judge Lady Ross said Colville's driving had been "senseless, reckless and obviously dangerous".
From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026
It seems an ominous stretch, and I’m already tired from all my senseless hopping around.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
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.
