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Synonyms

numbing

American  
[nuhm-ing] / ˈnʌm ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. 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.

This awful situation 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

This numbing and inescapable truth gives a unique urgency to Mr. Rosolie’s “Junglekeeper.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

"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

At this point, they pop up with numbing regularity.

From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2024

It was more than just pain nanites, she must have had all sorts of numbing, rejuvenating chemicals and microbots inside her.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.