Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words (original) (raw)
unresponsive
/ ˌʌnrɪˈspɒnsɪv /
adjective
- not reacting or responding to an action, question, suggestion, etc
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Example Sentences
Video taken by Shemwell of her son unresponsive with a floppy arm on 1 January was shown to the jury.
Five people were rescued Sunday afternoon, but one man was reported missing and later found unresponsive inside the overturned vessel.
He was found to be unresponsive and not breathing in his cell by staff the next morning.
Perry was found unresponsive in his backyard hot tub in October 2023.
The jury heard how the child was unresponsive on 7 November 2019.
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More About Unresponsive
What does unresponsive mean?
Unresponsive means not reacting or responding to communication or something that usually calls for a reaction or a reply.
If someone you work with is not returning your emails, you might describe them as unresponsive. You could also use the word to describe a friend who never (or only rarely) returns your texts. A suspect who keeps quiet while being questioned by the police could also be described as unresponsive.
Unresponsive is also sometimes used in a medical context to describe a patient who is unconscious or otherwise unable to respond, such as due to being severely intoxicated.
The opposite of both senses of unresponsive is responsive, which can be used to describe people who are good at getting back to you or to a patient who is alert and able to communicate.
Example: I’ve been trying to get our other group member to contribute, but so far he’s been completely unresponsive and hasn’t returned any of my calls or texts.
Where does unresponsive come from?
The first records of the word responsive come from around 1400. Unresponsive is first recorded later, around the 1600s, and is simply formed by adding the prefix un-, meaning “not.”
When it’s used to describe people who don’t return your calls, emails, or texts, unresponsive might not necessarily mean that they never get back to you—though sometimes it does. Someone who’s unresponsive in this way is usually slow to respond, or only responds sometimes, or responds without actually answering your question.
In a medical context, saying that a patient is unresponsive often indicates that their condition is serious or that they’ve been injured in some way that prevents them from communicating.
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How is unresponsive used in real life?
When it’s used to describe a person who doesn’t get back to you, unresponsive implies a criticism of such a person. When it’s used in a medical context, it often implies a serious condition.
I just sent an email to those unresponsive coworkers, except this time I cc'ed their boss. OOPS. Bet they'll get back to me now.
— Emily C (@YoBooMaFoo) April 1, 2009
This is 100% accurate. Many of us inside of the State Department tried to help our colleagues in Ukraine, Georgia and elsewhere. Facebook was simply unresponsive. https://t.co/rssbI6OFPD
— Moira Whelan (@moira) October 10, 2017
One of the challenges #paramedics encounter w/unresponsive patients is finding their medical history. If no one is around to share info, here are a few ways we find out:
🔎 Medical ID bracelet/necklace
🔎 Medical ID card
🔎 Programmed info in their phone 📱 pic.twitter.com/nwyUwJRZ64
— Thanh Nguyen (@PIOthanhn) June 28, 2019
Try using unresponsive!
Which of the following words would most likely be used to describe a patient who’s unresponsive?
A. alert
B. unconscious
C. aware
D. communicating