unconscious
unconscious — adjective
1. when you are not awake and cannot see, hear, or feel what is happening around yo
when you are not awake and cannot see, hear, or feel what is happening around you, often after a blow to the head, a serious illness, or during an operation.
The paramedics found Bilal unconscious on the kitchen floor.
passive: found + person + unconscious
After the crash, Chiara remained unconscious for nearly three days.
collocation: remained unconscious
Jason was knocked unconscious by a falling branch during the storm.
The doctors say she is still unconscious but her vital signs are improving.
Jabari lay unconscious on the stretcher while the nurse checked his pulse.
- knocked out
informal; specifically from a blow
- comatose
medical; a deep, prolonged state
- passed out
informal; from fainting or drinking
- insensible
formal or literary; no longer used in everyday English
文法句型
be/become/remain/lie unconscious
knock/find somebody unconscious
用法筆記
Typically used predicatively — after a linking verb like 'be', 'remain', 'lie', 'fall', or with a verb like 'find' or 'knock'. Attributive use ('an unconscious patient') is possible in medical writing but less common in everyday English.
常見錯誤
2. describing a thought, feeling, habit, or action that happens without your awaren
describing a thought, feeling, habit, or action that happens without your awareness or deliberate intention — for example, tapping your foot without realizing, or holding a bias you would not consciously agree with.
Mira had an unconscious habit of twisting her hair while reading.
collocation: unconscious habit
Many people hold unconscious biases about others without realizing it.
collocation: unconscious bias
Faisal made an unconscious gesture of reaching for his wallet when the bill arrived.
While waiting for the train, Theo had an unconscious urge to tap his fingers on the railing.
Rodrigo let out an unconscious sigh of relief when the exam finished.
- automatic
focus on mechanical, repetitive quality
- instinctive
suggests natural, inborn reaction
- involuntary
medical or formal; opposite of voluntary
- subconscious
psychology; deeper, below conscious awareness
- deliberate
done on purpose
- conscious
done with full awareness
- intentional
planned and purposeful
文法句型
unconscious + noun (thought, feeling, habit, bias, gesture)
用法筆記
Used attributively before nouns that describe mental events or physical actions. Distinguish from sense 1 (NOT AWAKE) — sense 1 describes a medical state of being physically unresponsive; sense 2 describes everyday mental processes that happen without your awareness.
常見錯誤
3. not having knowledge or awareness of something that is happening or exists — for
not having knowledge or awareness of something that is happening or exists — for example, not noticing that you are being watched, or not realizing you are humming loudly.
Kenji seemed completely unconscious of the noise around him.
pattern: unconscious OF [something]
The children were unconscious of the danger as they played near the busy road.
Mayumi remained unconscious of the fact that everyone was staring at her.
Christopher was unconscious of how loudly his music was playing through the headphones.
文法句型
unconscious of + noun/gerund/clause
用法筆記
Always followed by 'of' + noun, gerund, or a clause. Distinguish from sense 2 (NOT DELIBERATE) — sense 3 describes a lack of awareness about external facts or situations, not internal mental processes. Common in formal writing; 'not aware' is more natural in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
unconscious — noun
1. a hidden area of your psyche where feelings, memories, and desires you do not no
a hidden area of your psyche where feelings, memories, and desires you do not normally notice are stored, and where they can still shape your dreams, emotions, and behaviour without your awareness.
Freud believed that dreams reveal hidden desires from the unconscious.
the unconscious as a psychological concept
Artists sometimes draw inspiration from the unconscious mind.
The therapist helped Quinn explore the fears buried in his unconscious.
According to Jung, the collective unconscious contains memories shared across all human cultures.
- subconscious
more common informally; similar but technically distinct in Freudian theory
- psyche
broader term for the whole mind or soul
- inner self
non-technical; the hidden part of one's personality
- conscious mind
the part of the mind you are aware of
- consciousness
awareness and waking thought
文法句型
the unconscious
the collective unconscious
buried in the unconscious
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'the' in psychological contexts. In everyday speech, speakers often use 'subconscious' instead, though in psychoanalytic theory (Freud, Jung) the two terms refer to different concepts. Distinguish from the adjective senses — the noun is a theoretical entity, not a description of a person's state.