numb

[ nuhm ]

/ nʌm /

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See synonyms for: numb / numbed / number / numbing on Thesaurus.com

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.

incapable of action or of feeling emotion; enervated; prostrate: numb with grief.

lacking or deficient in emotion or feeling; indifferent: She was numb to their pleas for mercy.

verb (used with object)

to make numb.

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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

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Origin of numb

1400–50; late Middle English nome literally, taken, seized, variant of nomen, numen,Old English numen, past participle of niman to take, nim¹

OTHER WORDS FROM numb

numbly, adverbnumbness, nounhalf-numb, adjectiveun·numbed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use numb in a sentence

Some told community leaders they were overwhelmed by the speed of the processing lines, which left their hands numb.
How the History of Waterloo, Iowa, Explains How Meatpacking Plants Became Hotbeds of COVID-19|by Bernice Yeung and Michael Grabell|December 21, 2020|ProPublica
Workers told advocates their hands were numb at the end of the day, and if they hurt themselves, they were forced to finish their shifts.
As COVID-19 Ravaged This Iowa City, Officials Discovered Meatpacking Executives Were the Ones in Charge|by Michael Grabell and Bernice Yeung|December 21, 2020|ProPublica
A few minutes later, when his hands and left leg went numb, bleak thoughts began circulating in his mind.
A high school football coach had a heart attack during a game, but didn’t leave until it was done|Kyle Melnick|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Westbrook said she is stepping up public education efforts, but she knows residents are somewhat numb to messages about masks, handwashing and staying home.
At dinner parties and game nights, casual American life is fueling the coronavirus surge|Karin Brulliard|November 12, 2020|Washington Post

At least 90 percent of them do not respond, and I have sent so many that I tend to be numb if I don't get a response.
Miss Manners: Does an online dating request deserve a reply to decline?|Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
Boyle and I help him back to his desk, where he sits numbly, beyond the help of those who would help him.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Scott nodded numbly, followed, his head aching and a nameless wave of apprehension sliding through him.
Feline Red|Robert Sampson
They knelt together, and Hyacinth, numbly indifferent, felt his hand grasped and held.
Hyacinth|George A. Birmingham
Beside him sat his secretary, a wizened little man who stared numbly at his clasped hands.
The Star Lord|Boyd Ellanby
Numbly they followed on—Dor and Jon and Jak and the two youngsters.
The Forgotten Planet|Murray Leinster
Her eyes vacant and numbly fixed, she rose slowly to her feet.
The Wolf Cub|Patrick Casey

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, noun

Word 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

Medical definitions for numb

numb

[ nŭm ]

adj.

Being unable or only partially able to feel sensation or pain; deadened or anesthetized.

Being emotionally unresponsive; indifferent.

To make or become numb.

numb

Origin of numb

OTHER WORDS FROM numb

Words related to numb

How to use numb in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for numb

Derived forms of numb

Word Origin for numb

Medical definitions for numb