Synonyms

numbing

American

[nuhm-ing] / ˈnʌm ɪŋ /

adjective

causing numbness or insensibility; stupefying.

the numbing effects of grief; a story repeated with numbing regularity.

Other Word Forms

numbingly

adverb

Etymology

Origin of numbing

First recorded in 1625–35; numb + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The numbing lidocaine was injected first and sprayed down my windpipe, making me feel as if I were drowning.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

But this awful situation also highlights TV’s ability to unite its otherwise fractured audience, despite years of scripted and unscripted content numbing us to the worst acts people commit against one another.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

Despite the name, these aren’t peppers at all but members of the citrus family that trigger a numbing, tingling sensation on the tongue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

"Is it, in fact, unhealthy and desensitising and numbing to feel joy when we're surrounded by so much suffering?" he asks.

From BBC • Sep. 1, 2025

He felt the chill of her secrecy, numbing him, like a poison spreading quickly through his veins.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023