senseless

English

Alternative forms

• senselesse (obsolete)

Etymology

From sense +‎ -less. Compare Saterland Frisian sinloos (“senseless, foolish”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛnsləs/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sense‧less

Adjective

senseless (comparative more senseless, superlative most senseless)

1. Without feeling or desire to work; deprived of sensation.

   Synonyms: unconscious, insensible

   The blow to his head rendered him senseless, he didn't awaken until he was in the ambulance.

   • 1817 December, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Revolt of Islam. […]”, in [Mary] Shelley, editor, The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 223:

     That hoary man had spent his livelong age
     In converse with the dead, who leave the stamp
     Of ever-burning thoughts on many a page,
     When they are gone into the senseless damp
     Of graves; […]

2. Lacking meaning or purpose; without common sense.

   Synonyms: pointless, meaningless

   What a senseless waste of money.

3. Without a discernible meaning or purpose, especially of a violent or evil act.

   The school shooting was a senseless act of violence.

4. Without consideration, awareness or sound judgement

   Synonyms: unreasonable, unwise, stupid

   He took senseless risks, not even aware of the danger he was in.

Related terms

• sense
• senseful
• senselessly
• senselessness

Translations

bereft of feeling

• Bulgarian: безчувствен (bg) (bezčuvstven)
• Danish: følelsesløs
• Finnish: tunnoton (fi)
• Galician: sen sentido
• German: empfindungslos, ohne Gefühl
• Portuguese: insensível (pt)
• Russian: бесчу́вственный (ru) (besčúvstvennyj)

bereft of consciousness

• Bulgarian: в безсъзнание (v bezsǎznanie)
• Danish: bevidstløs
• Finnish: tajuton (fi)
• German: ohnmächtig (de), bewusstlos (de), besinnungslos (de)
• Italian: svenuto (it)
• Portuguese: inconsciente (pt)
• Russian: без созна́ния (ru) (bez soznánija), бесчу́вственный (ru) (besčúvstvennyj)
• Turkish: baygın (tr)

lacking meaning or purpose

• Bulgarian: безсмислен (bg) (bezsmislen)
• Danish: sanseløs
• Esperanto: sensenca
• Finnish: järjetön (fi), mieletön (fi), älytön (fi), älyvapaa (fi)
• Galician: sen razón
• German: sinnlos (de)
• Irish: gan chiall
• Italian: senza capo né coda
• Latvian: bezjēdzīgs
• Maori: koretake
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: meningsløs, meiningslaus

  Nynorsk: meiningslaus

• Plautdietsch: sennlooss, onveninftich
• Portuguese: absurdo (pt)
• Russian: бессмы́сленный (ru) (bessmýslennyj)

without consideration

• Bulgarian: необмислен (bg) (neobmislen)
• Finnish: järjetön (fi), mieletön (fi), älytön (fi), älyvapaa (fi)
• Galician: irracional
• German: unüberlegt (de), unvernünftig (de), vernunftlos
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἄφρων (áphrōn)

• Irish: díchéillí
• Latin: excors
• Manx: meecheeallagh
• Maori: pōrewarewa, pōrewharewha
• Portuguese: insensível (pt)
• Russian: бессмы́сленный (ru) (bessmýslennyj), необду́манный (ru) (neobdúmannyj)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} sensenca

See also

• (deprived of sensation): ageusia, analgesia, anosmia, blind, deaf, hypoesthesia, numbness, paralysis

References

• “senseless”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “senseless”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.