1
as in unconscious
having lost consciousness she collapsed, senseless, after hitting her head

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2
3
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily he may be a little absentminded, but he's really not as senseless as he seems

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as in inanimate
lacking animate awareness or sensation even the senseless sea seemed determined to swamp the storm-tossed ship

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of senseless We are all truly saddened at this senseless act of violence and ask God to send his consolation to all the victims, their families and the school community. Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025 Taking out parking to put in bike lanes that are extremely underutilized was senseless. Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025 To say that Babe was – and still is – bigger than life is to engage in senseless futility. Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025 Friends and family remember Greg Najee Grimes as a devoted father, a loving son, a supportive friend and a mentor in Sacramento whose life was ended way too soon by senseless gun violence. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for senseless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for senseless
Adjective
  • Daniel, having fallen off the side of a mountain on a rock-climbing trip with Cherry, is in the hospital, unconscious and fighting for his life.
    Judy Berman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
  • As Daniel lies unconscious and broken in a hospital bed, the doctors warn Laura and her husband, Howard (Waleed Zuaiter), that their son probably won’t make it.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • For example, some parents may wonder if these behaviors are related to things like stimming (repetitive movement or sounds), echolalia (meaningless repetition of words), or self-regulation behaviors.
    ​Wendy Wisner, Parents, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The story unfolds in three distinct chapters as the crisis goes up the chain of command, with each part of the film showing how all our systems and technology are ultimately meaningless in the face of such destructive power.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The reigning Super Bowl champs better hope that’s the dumbest thing that one of their players does this season.
    Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Sometimes, actors play a slightly dumber iteration of themselves; think James Van Der Beek in Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 and Liam Neeson in Life’s Too Short (a performance that got Neeson cast in this year’s The Naked Gun).
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Grace can be a frustrating protagonist, making foolish, self-sabotaging decisions in pursuit of fleeting pleasure and conditional approval from guys who, frankly, aren’t worth her time.
    Katie Rife, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Placing stock in anything but winning might be foolish, especially given the nature of how the Steelers quarterback operates.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The American flag is not a mere inanimate banner.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Thin bony fingers as inanimate as dry cigarette papers.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 16 July 2025
Adjective
  • The recent rash of CEOs Gone Wild is arguably even stupider than commonplace fraud, and a troubling sign that there continues to be a slippery slope of accountability for C-Suite leadership.
    Ian Chaffee, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The accounts team logs in right on time, and the stupid dance of platitudes that precedes every meeting at every company around the world begins.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Many kids find repeating these phrases satisfying, or silly, or just plain fun to say, Estevez says.
    ​Wendy Wisner, Parents, 8 Sep. 2025
  • There are no silly games being played.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The brain, like other internal organs, is insensate, its lack of sensory receptors attested by videos of virtuoso violinists who play on unfazed as neurosurgeons go to work inside their skulls.
    Matthew Ponsford, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
  • But states have used midazolam alone — and at much higher doses — in executions since 2013, claiming the drug will render people insensate to pain before the administration of other lethal injection drugs.
    Lauren Gill, ProPublica, 29 Apr. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Senseless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/senseless. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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