insensible

Everyday

1. (formal) Unconscious; not awake or aware: knocked insensible. tree →
2. (formal) Not aware of something or not caring about it: insensible to the danger. tree →
3. Not able to feel something: insensible to cold. tree →
4. (old) Too small or slow to notice: by insensible degrees. tree →
5. Not insensible to something means being aware of it and feeling its effect. tree →

In the lessons

In old novels and formal writing. It is a false friend: insensible does not mean the opposite of sensible (that is silly). Phrases: insensible to, knocked insensible.

Examples

• The fall knocked him insensible. tree →
• She seemed insensible to the cold wind. tree →
• He lay insensible on the floor until the doctor came. tree →
• The king was insensible to the suffering of the poor. tree →
• Frozen fingers become insensible to pain. tree →
• In the old story, the hero drank the potion and fell insensible. tree →
• I was not insensible to the advantages of his proposal, and gladly assured him of my acceptance. tree →

Note

Trap: the opposite of sensible (wise) is silly or foolish, not insensible. Close words: unconscious, unaware, insensitive (unkind about feelings).