insentient

/(ˌ)in-ˈsen(t)-sh(ē-)ənt/ (ame, mw)

insentient — adjective

  • insentientpositive
  • more insentientcomparative
  • most insentientsuperlative

1. unable to feel, think, or notice anything because it has no awareness or inner l

1.形容詞C2
釋義

unable to feel, think, or notice anything because it has no awareness or inner life

例句

The museum guide reminded the children that the stone lions were majestic but insentient sculptures.

contrast: lifelike statue but no awareness

Defne talks to her broken robot as if it were not insentient metal.

common contrast: insentient machine or metal

同義詞
  • non-sentient

    closest technical equivalent, especially in philosophy or science

  • inanimate

    more everyday and broader; stresses not being alive rather than lacking awareness

  • unconscious

    used for a person or animal temporarily without awareness, not for objects in general

反義詞
  • sentient

    able to feel, perceive, or be aware

  • conscious

    used when a person or animal is awake and aware

用法筆記

Mostly used in formal, scientific, or philosophical writing, especially when contrasting feeling beings with matter, objects, or systems that cannot feel or respond. For a person who temporarily loses awareness, English usually prefers 'unconscious'.

常見錯誤

❌After the fall, he lay insentient on the kitchen floor.
✅After the fall, he lay unconscious on the kitchen floor.
💡For a person whose awareness is temporarily gone, English normally uses 'unconscious', not 'insentient'.
❌My phone felt insentient after the update.
✅My phone felt unresponsive after the update.
💡'insentient' means lacking consciousness or feeling, not failing to react to a command.