Dictionary

senseless en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈsɛnsləs/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sent-der. Proto-Italic *sentiō Latin sentiō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin sēnsusbor. Proto-Germanic *sinnaz Frankish *sinnbor. Vulgar Latin *sennus Old French sensbor. Middle English sense English sense Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English senseless From sense + -less. Compare Saterland Frisian sinloos (“senseless, foolish”).

Meanings

1. Without feeling or desire to work; deprived of sensation.
   • 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; […] 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “(please specify the page)”, in The Revolt of Islam; […], London: […] [F]or C[harles] and J[ames] Ollier, […]; by B[uchanan] M‘Millan, […], →OCLC, (please specify the stanza number):
   • The blow to his head rendered him senseless; he didn’t awaken until he was in the ambulance.
2. Lacking meaning or purpose; without common sense.
   • What a senseless waste of money.
3. Without a discernible meaning or purpose, especially of a violent or evil act.
   • Addressing the nation on Thursday, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the shooting “a senseless attack” and said “this Christmas will be unimaginably sad.” 2023 December 22, Ivana Kottasová, “Prague in shock and horror after ‘senseless’ shooting attack leaves 14 dead”, in CNN:
   • At the news conference, Crump called her killing “senseless on every level.” 2024 July 24, Emma Tucker and Bill Kirkos, “What we know about the deputy charged with killing Sonya Massey in her home after she called 911 for help”, in CNN:
   • The school shooting was a senseless act of violence.
4. Without consideration, awareness or sound judgement
   • He took senseless risks, not even aware of the danger he was in.
   • [T]he King vvas obliged to qualify his grant, by eſtabliſhing betvveen the contending parties a rotation of ſeniority, each to take place alternately for a year, the ſurvivor to precede for his life the heir of the other, and ſo in perpetuum. A ſenſeleſs jumble, ſoon liquidated by a more egregious act of folly, the King vvith his ovvn hand crovvning the young Duke of VVarvvick King of the Iſle of VVight— […] 1762, Horace Walpole, “State of Painting from the Reign of Henry III. to the End of Henry VI.”, in Anecdotes of Painting in England; […], volume I, London: […] Thomas Farmer […], →OCLC, pages 39–40:

Forms

Relateds

ageusia (deprived of sensation) · blind (deprived of sensation) · numbness (deprived of sensation) · senseful · senselessness · sense · analgesia (deprived of sensation) · anosmia (deprived of sensation) · senselessly · paralysis (deprived of sensation) · hypoesthesia (deprived of sensation) · deaf (deprived of sensation)

Synonyms

unreasonable · meaningless · pointless · unconscious · unwise · stupid · insensible

Translations (66)

fi järjetön (without consideration) · pt inconsciente (bereft of consciousness) · hi मूर्छित (bereft of consciousness) · da følelsesløs (bereft of feeling) · hi विचारहीन (without consideration) · fi mieletön (without consideration) · ga díchéillí (without consideration) · nn meiningslaus (lacking meaning or purpose) · fi järjetön (lacking meaning or purpose) · ru без созна́ния (bereft of consciousness) · ru бесчу́вственный (bereft of consciousness) · fi tajuton (bereft of consciousness) · fi älyvapaa (without consideration) · ru бессмы́сленный (without consideration) · de empfindungslos (bereft of feeling) · eo sensenca (lacking meaning or purpose) · tr baygın (bereft of consciousness) · pt insensível (without consideration) · de unvernünftig (without consideration) · pt insensível (bereft of feeling) · de vernunftlos (without consideration) · de unüberlegt (without consideration) · de ohne Gefühl (bereft of feeling) · nb meningsløs (lacking meaning or purpose) · ga gan chiall (lacking meaning or purpose) · mi pōrewharewha (without consideration) · de bewusstlos (bereft of consciousness) · fi älytön (lacking meaning or purpose) · mi koretake (lacking meaning or purpose) · hi निरर्थक (lacking meaning or purpose) · bg в безсъзнание (bereft of consciousness) · nb meiningslaus (lacking meaning or purpose) · it svenuto (bereft of consciousness) · ru бессмы́сленный (lacking meaning or purpose) · hi अर्थहीन (lacking meaning or purpose) · de sinnlos (lacking meaning or purpose) · uk безглу́здий (without consideration) · de besinnungslos (bereft of consciousness) · pdt onveninftich (lacking meaning or purpose) · ru необду́манный (without consideration) · de ohnmächtig (bereft of consciousness) · hi भावहीन (bereft of feeling) · bg безчувствен (bereft of feeling) · ru бесчу́вственный (bereft of feeling) · pt absurdo (lacking meaning or purpose) · bg безсмислен (lacking meaning or purpose) · grc ἄφρων (without consideration) · la excors (without consideration) · gv meecheeallagh (without consideration) · fi älyvapaa (lacking meaning or purpose) · es sin sentido (lacking meaning or purpose) · gl irracional (without consideration) · da bevidstløs (bereft of consciousness) · pdt sennlooss (lacking meaning or purpose) · mi pōrewarewa (without consideration) · gl sen sentido (bereft of feeling) · fi mieletön (lacking meaning or purpose) · fi tunnoton (bereft of feeling) · da sanseløs (lacking meaning or purpose) · fi älytön (without consideration) · gl sen razón (lacking meaning or purpose) · uk безглу́здий (lacking meaning or purpose) · es no tener sentido (lacking meaning or purpose) · lv bezjēdzīgs (lacking meaning or purpose) · it senza capo né coda (lacking meaning or purpose) · bg необмислен (without consideration)