insensibly
1
7.4
- adverb
- /ɪnˈsɛnsəbli/
:
insensiblemente
- I have insensibly fallen into a habit of affecting wit and humor, of shrugging my shoulders, and moving and distorting the muscles of my face.
Examples
-
Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.
Blog text (26) -
Despite the immediacy of my own danger, I found myself insensibly drawn to consider the behavior of this pleasant young woman sitting beside me.
Fiction book (1993) -
... in reality there is no transition of the soul from one body to another, except insofar as the body itself is insensibly changed.
Academic text (1998) -
At length, I came insensibly to do the same thing during my set time of prayer, which caused me great delight and consolation.
Blog text (29) -
Darwin, following Lyell's lead in geology, preferred to interpret substantial change as the insensibly gradual, incremental building of adaptation, tiny piece by tiny piece, generation by generation.
Academic text (1992) -
The child stared at the screen, insensibly absorbed in the action of the movie.
-
She walked through the crowd, insensibly ignoring the noise around her.
-
He continued to work, insensibly ignoring his mounting fatigue.
Synonyms
38
4.0
Without thinking or knowing you do something
4
6.8
In a way that shows no feeling or reaction
3
5.8
In a way that shows no feeling in the body or mind
1
6.5
Not noticing what happens around you
1
5.0
In a calm way that does not show feelings
1
8.0
In a cold, unfriendly way that shows no feeling
1
5.9
In a way that shows no feeling or life
1
7.3
In a way that shows no interest or energy
In a way that does not show care or kindness
Without showing any feeling
In a way that shows no feeling on the face
Acting without feeling or reason and not caring about harm to others
In a way that shows no feeling or human warmth, like a machine
Calmly without showing any emotion
Antonyms
How Sensitive
5
4.2
4
4.0
1
6.1
1
7.4
3
5.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
insensibly = insensible (semi-transparent) = in + sensible + ly
Forming the adverb by adding '-ly' to 'insensible' is transparent, but 'insensible' itself may be confusing because 'sensible' is commonly known as 'reasonable' rather than 'capable of sensation'.
Etymology
Insensibly begins with in- meaning 'not' and uses sensible (from sense) meaning 'feeling' or 'awareness'. So insensibly means doing something 'not feeling' or 'without noticing', like a person moving in a numb, unfeeling way.