無む反はん応のう

む

は

ん

の

う

JLPTN2

Meanings

na-adjective

unresponsive; showing no reaction

Describes a person or thing that does not react or respond to stimuli, questions, or events. Often used in medical, psychological, or everyday contexts.

患かん者じゃは呼よびかけに無む反はん応のうだった。
The patient was unresponsive to being called.
彼かれは私わたしの冗じょう談だんに無む反はん応のうで、少すこし寂さびしかった。
He showed no reaction to my joke, and I felt a bit lonely.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の呼よびかけに無む反はん応のうだto be unresponsive to someone's call or appeal
彼かれは彼かの女じょの呼よびかけに無む反はん応のうだった。
He showed no reaction to her calling out to him.
〈事こと〉〉に無反応むはんのうを装おそうto pretend to be unaffected by something
彼かれはそのニュースに無む反はん応のうを装おそった。
He pretended to show no reaction to the news.
〈物もの〉が無む反はん応のうになるfor something (a device, patient, etc.) to stop responding
患かん者じゃは薬くすりに無む反はん応のうになった。
The patient became unresponsive to the medication.

Kanji

無nothingness, none, ain't
反anti-
応apply, answer, yes

Related words

無む視しN3
無視 means actively choosing to ignore something, while 無反応 simply describes an absence of reaction that may be unintentional.
無む関かん心しんN3
無関心 describes a lack of interest or concern, whereas 無反応 describes a lack of observable reaction, which can occur even when someone is interested.
冷れい淡たんN1
冷淡 emphasizes emotional coldness toward someone, while 無反応 simply notes that no response occurred, without implying coldness.
鈍どん感かんN1
鈍感 describes a general insensitivity or slowness to notice things, while 無反応 describes the specific absence of a reaction to a particular stimulus.

Opposites

敏びん感かんN1
敏感 means highly sensitive and quick to react, the opposite of 無反応 which means showing no reaction at all.

Don't confuse with

無む感かん情じょう
無感情 means lacking emotion or feeling, while 無反応 means lacking any observable reaction, which can happen even when emotion is present.

Built from

無む+反はん応のう

Etymology

Compound of 無 (mu, 'without') and 反応 (hannō, 'reaction'). The word follows a common pattern of forming adjectival nouns with 無-.