insensible

English

Etymology

From Middle English insensible, from Old French insensible, from Late Latin īnsēnsibilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈsɛns.ɪ.bəl/, [ɪnˈsɛn̥sɪbl̩]
• Hyphenation: in‧sen‧si‧ble

Adjective

insensible (comparative more insensible, superlative most insensible)

1. Unable to be perceived by the senses.
   • 1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:

     Two small and almost insensible pricks were found upon Cleopatra's arm.

   • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     They fall away, / And languish with insensible decay.

2. Incapable or deprived of physical sensation.
   • 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Fate of the Artemis”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:

     “ […] Captain Markam had been found lying half-insensible, gagged and bound, on the floor of the sitting-room, his hands and feet tightly pinioned, and a woollen comforter wound closely round his mouth and neck ; whilst Mrs. Markham's jewel-case, containing valuable jewellery and the secret plans of Port Arthur, had disappeared. […]”

   • 2023 December 27, David Turner, “Silent lines...”, in RAIL, number 999, page 29:

     The Leicester Daily Mercury reflected on how these concerns were the result of changing ways of getting around: "It might sound a bit crazy or just a little revolting that at Christmas works parties, some should drink themselves into a near-insensible state... This was not serious when they used public transport, but today more men and women use their own cars."

3. Unable to be understood; unintelligible.
4. Not sensible or reasonable; meaningless.
   • 1736, Matthew Hale, Historia Placitorum Coronæ:

     If it make the indictment be insensible or uncertain, […] it shall be quashed.

5. Incapable of mental feeling; indifferent.
   • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     Lost in their loves, insensible of shame.

   • 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:

     In spite of her deep-rooted dislike, she could not be insensible to the compliment of such a man's affection […]

6. Incapable of emotional feeling; callous; apathetic.

   Synonym: insensitive

Antonyms

• sensible

Derived terms

• insensibility
• insensibly

Related terms

• insensitive
• nonsensible
• nonsensical
• senseless
• unsensible
• unsensitive

Translations

unable to be perceived by the sense

• Bulgarian: незабележим (bg) (nezabeležim)
• French: insensible (fr)
• German: bewusstlos (de), nicht wahrnehmbar
• Japanese: 感じられない (ja) (kanjirarenai)
• Spanish: insensible (es)

incapable of emotional feeling

• Bulgarian: безчувствен (bg) (bezčuvstven), нечувствителен (bg) (nečuvstvitelen)
• Catalan: insensible (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 無感的／无感的

• French: insensible (fr)
• German: gefühllos (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀπαθής (apathḗs)

• Japanese: 無感覚の (mukankaku no), 平気な (ja) (heiki na)
• Occitan: insensible (oc)
• Spanish: insensible (es)

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French insensible, from Late Latin īnsēnsibilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.sɑ̃.sibl/
• Homophone: insensibles

Adjective

insensible (plural insensibles)

1. insensible
2. impervious
3. unperceivable, imperceptible

   Synonym: imperceptible

Derived terms

• insensiblement

Further reading

• “insensible”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin īnsēnsibilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /insenˈsible/ [ĩn.sẽnˈsi.β̞le]
• Rhymes: -ible
• Syllabification: in‧sen‧si‧ble

Adjective

insensible m or f (masculine and feminine plural insensibles)

1. insensible, insensitive, callous, cold, tactless

   Antonym: sensible

Derived terms

• insensibilidad
• insensiblemente

 

Further reading

• “insensible”, in Diccionario de la lengua española (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy, 2023 November 28