Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Not responding: "irresponsive" describes someone or something that does not reply or react to stimuli, communication, or attempts at interaction.
   • Lacking reaction: It can also refer to a lack of emotional or physical response, as in being unresponsive to treatment or appeals.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Despite several calls, the patient remained irresponsive. (The patient did not respond to attempts at communication.)
  • The audience was irresponsive to the comedian's jokes. (The audience did not laugh or react.)
  • The machine was irresponsive to the button press. (The machine did not react to the command.)

Advanced Usage

• "irresponsive to": followed by a noun or noun phrase indicating the stimulus.

  • The government was irresponsive to the public's demands for change. (The government did not react to the requests.)

• "remain irresponsive": to continue in a state of not responding.

  • The child remained irresponsive even after the teacher called his name three times. (The child did not acknowledge the call.)

Variants and Related Words

• Irresponsiveness (noun): the quality or state of being irresponsive.

  • The irresponsiveness of the system caused delays. (The lack of response caused problems.)

• Irresponsively (adverb): in a manner that shows no response.

  • He stared irresponsively at the question. (He looked without reacting.)

Synonyms

• Unresponsive: not reacting to something.
• Unreactive: not inclined to respond or change.
• Apathetic: showing no interest or concern.

Antonyms

• Responsive: quick to react or reply.
• Reactive: acting in response to a situation.
• Attentive: paying close attention and responding.

Related Idioms

• "Deaf to": unwilling to listen or respond (similar in meaning).

  • He was deaf to their pleas for help. (He did not respond to their requests.)

• "Turn a deaf ear": to ignore or refuse to listen.

  • The manager turned a deaf ear to the complaints. (The manager was irresponsive.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Shut off: to stop responding or to isolate oneself.

  • After the argument, he shut off completely and became irresponsive. (He stopped reacting or communicating.)

• Clam up: to become silent and refuse to speak.

  • The suspect clammed up and remained irresponsive during questioning. (The suspect stopped talking.)