Unconscious
/ʌnˈkɒnʃəs/
Definitions
3 meaningsNot awake and not able to feel, see, hear, or be aware of anything.
/ʌnˈkɒnʃəs/
Not awake; unaware of surroundings
The boxer was unconscious after the final round.
💡 Simply: Imagine you get a really bad bump on the head! Being unconscious is like your brain taking a nap and you can't see, hear, or feel anything, like when you're deeply asleep.
👶 For kids: When you are unconscious, you are sleeping really deep and can't see or hear anything.
More Examples
After the fall, she lay unconscious on the ground.
The doctor checked to see if the patient was unconscious.
How It's Used
"The patient was unconscious after the accident."
"He was knocked unconscious by the blow to the head."
Acting or done without realizing it; not controlled consciously.
/ʌnˈkɒnʃəs/
Not aware of one's own actions or behavior
He displayed an unconscious prejudice against the new employee.
💡 Simply: Have you ever said something you didn't mean to? Or maybe you did something without even realizing it. That's like being unconscious of your actions – you're not fully aware of what you're doing.
👶 For kids: When you do something without even thinking about it, like when you scratch your head. That is unconscious!
More Examples
Her unconscious habit of biting her nails revealed her nervousness.
The therapist explored the patient's unconscious motivations.
How It's Used
"She showed an unconscious bias against people from other backgrounds."
"He made an unconscious choice based on his gut feeling."
The state of not being conscious; the loss of awareness of one's surroundings.
/ʌnˈkɒnʃəsnəs/
The state of being unconscious
He suffered a brief period of unconsciousness after the accident.
💡 Simply: Imagine you fell asleep and can't wake up. Unconsciousness is when your brain is in a deep sleep mode and not aware of anything.
👶 For kids: Unconsciousness is like being in a deep sleep where you don't know anything.
More Examples
The blow to the head caused a loss of consciousness.
Doctors are trained to handle cases of unconsciousness.
How It's Used
"The doctor monitored the patient for signs of improvement from their unconsciousness."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
unconscious of something
Not aware of something; oblivious to something.
"He was completely unconscious of the danger."
From Middle English *unconscious* (adjective), from *un-* + *conscious*. The verb is much later.
The term has been used since the 17th century with both medical and psychological contexts evolving over time.
Memory tip
Think of *un-* as 'not' and *conscious* as 'aware'. So, *unconscious* means not aware.
Practice
Word Origin
Prefix: un- (not)