Definition of senselessnext
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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4
5
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 Tributes continue to pour into East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where 7-month-old Kaori Patterson-Moore lost her life in a senseless shooting Wednesday. Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026 The loss of books is minor, almost trivial, in light of all the horrors and violence unleashed by this senseless war, but the potential loss of these books is a sad reminder that we’re all affected and implicated in America’s savage flailings. James Folta, Literary Hub, 17 Mar. 2026 Her stint in gritty BBC drama Damilola, Our Loved Boy retold one of Britain’s most tragic cases involving the senseless killing of a young boy and earned her her first BAFTA. Kemi Alemoru, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2026 End these stupid, senseless wars. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for senseless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for senseless
Adjective
  • Known as the godfather of public relations, Bernays explained how the unconscious element of people in democratic societies could be manipulated.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Nearly two decades after Ratliff died, Peterson found his wife, Kathleen, unconscious at the bottom of the stairs.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The second happens when the cords of logic break entirely; these patients jump from idea to idea in a meaningless way, and their speech is nonsensical—what doctors call word salad.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
  • And at the same time, how meaningless a basketball game actually was in the bigger scheme of things.
    Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Part of me wants to blame the NFL for making the players walk four miles down that dumb tunnel after they're picked.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Asking dumb questions is always my thing.
    Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • If Florida is worried about China’s rise, dismantling educational and cultural exchanges is a foolish response.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
  • But the Stars should be trying to goad the Wild into foolish penalties.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • But there are inanimate pets in the cemetery.
    Jennie Key, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Mar. 2026
  • On the morning after the hurricane, these objects revert to their inanimate status quo—but the deviation has been recorded, as fiction.
    Hannah Gold, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Nothing gets Trump angrier than when one of his underlings is caught doing something stupid on videotape.
    Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
  • But to those going to an upcoming show, for the love of God please shut up when Raye is sharing this story; a quiet room isn’t a license to yell stupid nonsense.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The manic, madcap, chaotic and silly stunt show was heavy on exposition to the delight of the fans who cheered the entrance of every One Piece character and laughed at the downfall of paper-thin goon.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
  • And so a very silly conversation leads to a series of positions that are far from frivolous.
    Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
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 1 May. 2026.

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