This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
numb
[ nuhm ]
/ nʌm /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective, numb·er, numb·est.
deprived of physical sensation or the ability to move: fingers numb with cold.
manifesting or resembling numbness: a numb sensation.
lacking or deficient in emotion or feeling; indifferent: She was numb to their pleas for mercy.
verb (used with object)
to make numb.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of numb
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English nome, literally, “taken, seized,” variant of nomen, numen, Old English numen, past participle of niman “to take, steal”; cf. nim1
OTHER WORDS FROM numb
numb·ly, adverbnumb·ness, nounhalf-numb, adjectiveun·numbed, adjectiveWords nearby numb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use numb in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for numb
numb
/ (nʌm) /
adjective
deprived of feeling through cold, shock, etc
unable to move; paralysed
characteristic of or resembling numbnessa numb sensation
verb (tr)
to make numb; deaden, shock, or paralyse
Derived forms of numb
numbly, adverbnumbness, nounWord Origin for numb
C15: nomen, literally: taken (with paralysis), from Old English niman to take; related to Old Norse nema, Old High German niman
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012