senseless

adjective

sense·​less ˈsen(t)s-ləs 

: destitute of, deficient in, or contrary to sense: such as

a

: unconscious

knocked senseless

b

: foolish, stupid

it was some senseless practical joke

—A. Conan Doyle

c

: meaningless

a senseless murder

senselessly adverb

senselessness noun

Synonyms

• cold
• insensible
• unconscious

Examples of senseless in a Sentence

Don't be such a senseless idiot!

she collapsed, senseless, after hitting her head

Recent Examples on the Web

The phrase 'practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty' was coined in 1982 by magazine writer and editor Anne Herbert. —Ronnie Li, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025

Despite a ticking clock that seemingly guarantees the girl’s senseless death will be discarded as a cold case, Al Saffan is determined to identify the body and uncover the truth. —Alex Ritman, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025

Despite a ticking clock that seemingly guarantees the girl’s senseless death will be discarded as a cold case, Noelle is determined to identify the body and uncover the truth. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2025

But there is not an impulse toward senseless revenge. —Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

senseless

adjective

sense·​less ˈsen(t)-sləs 

1

: unconscious entry 1 sense 2

knocked senseless

2

: foolish, stupid

3

: pointless sense 1, meaningless

a senseless act

senselessly adverb

senselessness noun