senseless

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sent-der. Proto-Italic *sentjō 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”).

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

   “The blow to his head rendered him senseless; he didn’t awaken until he was in the ambulance.”

   “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.

   “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.”

   “Addressing the nation on Thursday, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the shooting “a senseless attack” and said “this Christmas will be unimaginably sad.””

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— […]”