where there's no sense there's no feeling
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A living thing of little or no intelligence does not feel pain or other negative sensations.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
'Where there's no sense there's no feeling,' they would say when they had hurt some creature by accident or through carelessness. By sense they meant wits or understanding, and these they imagined purely human attributes.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “where there's no sense there's no feeling” mean?
A living thing of little or no intelligence does not feel pain or other negative sensations.
Is “where there's no sense there's no feeling” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.