unconsciousness
/ʌnˈkɒnʃəsnəs/ (bre, ipa) · [ˌʌnkˈɑnʃəsnɪs] /ʌnˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/ (ame, ipa) · [ˌʌnkˈɑnʃəsnɪs] /ˌən-ˈkän(t)-shəs How to pronounce unconscious (audio)/ (ame, mw)
unconsciousness — noun
1. a sleeplike state caused by injury, illness, or drugs, in which a person cannot
a sleeplike state caused by injury, illness, or drugs, in which a person cannot see, hear, feel, or respond to what is happening around them
The cyclist was found lying on the road in a state of unconsciousness after the collision.
prepositional phrase: in a state of unconsciousness
Patients who slip into unconsciousness after a head injury need immediate medical attention.
verb collocation: slip into unconsciousness
The paramedic confirmed that unconsciousness had lasted less than two minutes.
Alcohol poisoning can lead to deep unconsciousness and requires emergency hospital treatment.
- consciousness
the normal waking state of being aware and responsive
文法句型
unconsciousness + verb: sets in / occurs / lasts
用法筆記
Uncountable; typically used with verbs like fall into, lapse into, slip into, or recover from. This sense belongs to medical or emergency contexts — distinguish from the psychological concept of the unconscious mind.
常見錯誤
unconsciousness — adjective
- unconsciousnesspositive
- more unconsciousnesscomparative
- most unconsciousnesssuperlative
1. in a state like sleep caused by a blow to the head, a medical condition, or a dr
in a state like sleep caused by a blow to the head, a medical condition, or a drug, so that you cannot see, hear, feel, or move
The boxer was knocked unconscious in the third round and did not get up for several seconds.
verb pattern: knock + person + unconscious
Amira found her grandfather lying unconscious on the bathroom floor and called for an ambulance.
Dr. Okafor was rendered unconscious by the gas leak before the firefighters arrived.
The hiker remained unconscious for several hours after falling down the cliff.
- conscious
awake and able to see, hear, feel, and respond
文法句型
be / lie / remain + unconscious
用法筆記
Used only after a linking verb (be, lie, remain, fall) — never before a noun. Compare KNOCKED OUT vs UNAWARE: this sense describes physical unresponsiveness; adj/5 describes lack of knowledge.
常見錯誤
2. done or happening without consciously thinking about it, especially because it h
done or happening without consciously thinking about it, especially because it has become a habit or an instinct
Mei had an unconscious habit of tapping her pen whenever she was concentrating on a hard problem.
attributive use: unconscious + habit
Diego's unconscious gesture of rubbing his chin revealed his nervousness to everyone in the room.
Running away from a loud noise is an unconscious reaction that young children show without being taught.
Yuki had an unconscious way of biting her lip when she felt anxious about a test.
- automatic
emphasises mechanical, routine behaviour; less about mental processes
- instinctive
biologically driven rather than learned; stronger implication of being natural
- reflex
used as an adjective primarily for physical reactions
- deliberate
done on purpose, with full awareness
- conscious
done with awareness and intention
文法句型
unconscious + noun (habit / gesture / reaction)
用法筆記
Attributive position (before a noun) is the most natural placement for this sense. If placed predicatively — 'His gesture was unconscious' — the meaning shifts toward INADVERTENT (sense 7).
3. relating to the part of your mind that holds thoughts, feelings, and memories th
relating to the part of your mind that holds thoughts, feelings, and memories that you are not aware of, but that can affect your behaviour
According to Jungian psychology, unconscious desires often appear in dreams as symbols or strange characters.
collocation: unconscious + desire
The therapist helped Lucia understand that her fear of water came from an unconscious memory of early childhood.
attributive: unconscious + memory
Freud argued that slips of the tongue can reveal a person's hidden unconscious thoughts.
Ananya's sudden anxiety seemed to stem from an unconscious fear of being left alone as a child.
- subconscious
more common in everyday speech; less technically Freudian than unconscious in psychology contexts
文法句型
unconscious + noun (desire / fear / mind / process)
用法筆記
Attributive only; this sense refers specifically to the psychoanalytic concept of the unconscious mind. Do not use predicatively — 'His fear is unconscious' would be interpreted as sense 7 (INADVERTENT).
常見錯誤
4. not having a mind or the ability to feel or experience anything; used of matter,
not having a mind or the ability to feel or experience anything; used of matter, objects, or natural forces that lack life or awareness
The philosopher argued that rocks and rivers are unconscious matter, incapable of suffering or joy.
philosophical context: unconscious + matter
In some traditions, the universe is not mere unconscious substance but has purpose and meaning.
Spinoza viewed animals as conscious beings but considered plants to be unconscious forms of life.
The debate about whether a computer can ever be more than an unconscious machine continues among scientists.
- inanimate
more common; simply means not alive, without implying the absence of a mind
- insentient
formal; lacking the capacity to feel or perceive
文法句型
unconscious + noun (matter / object / nature)
用法筆記
Rare and technical; found mainly in philosophical or theological writing. Distinguish from KNOCKED OUT (sense 1), which describes a living being who has lost consciousness temporarily.
5. not knowing about something or not realising that something is true or happening
not knowing about something or not realising that something is true or happening
The hikers were completely unconscious of the storm approaching from the other side of the mountain.
pattern: unconscious + of + noun phrase
Arjun was unconscious of his colleagues leaving for the day until the guard reminded him.
Many people are unconscious of how much time they spend on their phones each day.
The children were completely unconscious of the danger as they played near the busy road.
文法句型
be + unconscious + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Predicative only (never placed before a noun). Always followed by of + noun phrase or a wh-clause. This is the only sense that patterns with of, which helps distinguish it from the other adjective senses.
常見錯誤
6. done or produced without the person thinking about how they look or trying to im
done or produced without the person thinking about how they look or trying to impress others; natural and unforced
The young dancer moved across the stage with an unconscious grace that no training could teach.
collocation: unconscious + grace
What made her singing special was the unconscious ease with which she reached the highest notes.
Children often have an unconscious charm that adults lose when they start worrying how others see them.
The speaker's unconscious humour made the audience laugh even during serious parts of the talk.
- natural
more general; can describe anything that is not artificial or forced
- effortless
focuses on the lack of apparent struggle rather than the lack of self-awareness
- unstudied
formal; suggests naturalness that is not practiced or rehearsed
- self-conscious
worried about how others perceive you; awkward and deliberate
- studied
deliberately practised or affected in style
文法句型
unconscious + noun (grace / ease / charm)
用法筆記
Attributive only; describes a quality of a person's performance or appearance. This sense carries a strong positive connotation — the absence of self-consciousness is seen as admirable.
7. not deliberately chosen or intended, and often happening without the person real
not deliberately chosen or intended, and often happening without the person realising it; used especially about attitudes, biases, or assumptions that affect behaviour
Many companies now offer training to help employees recognise their own unconscious biases during hiring.
standard collocation: unconscious bias
The teacher's unconscious assumption that quiet students are less able can cause them to overlook talented children.
attributive: unconscious + assumption
Deepa realised that preferring candidates from a certain university was an unconscious prejudice she needed to fix.
The study showed that many doctors hold an unconscious preference for treating patients from similar backgrounds.
- inadvertent
focuses on the accidental nature; slightly more formal
- unintentional
clearer and more common in everyday speech
- implicit
technical term in psychology for attitudes that operate automatically
- deliberate
done on purpose with full awareness
- conscious
fully intentional and recognised by the person
- explicit
openly stated rather than hidden or automatic
文法句型
unconscious + noun (bias / prejudice / assumption / discrimination)
用法筆記
Attributive only in the most natural usage. This sense has become especially common in workplace and social-justice contexts with the phrase unconscious bias. Unlike sense 5 (UNAWARE), this sense describes the attitude itself rather than the person's lack of awareness.