numb

numb Definition

numb (num)

adjective

weakened in or deprived of the power of feeling or moving; benumbed; deadened; insensible numb with cold, numb with grief
having the nature of numbness a numb feeling

Etymology: < ME nome, nomen, pp. of nimen, to take (with unhistoric -b): see -nomy

transitive verb

to make numb

numb Related Forms

numb′ly adverb numb′·ness noun

numb Synonyms

modif.

Insensible
deadened, dead, unfeeling, insensate, insentient, benumbed, numbed, asleep, senseless, anesthetized, stupefied, comatose; see also paralyzed.
Insensitive
apathetic, callous, inured, thickskinned; see callous, indifferent 1, listless 1.

numb Synonyms

paralyze, drug, anesthetize, dull; see deaden 1.

numb Usage Examples

Object

sensation: I keep getting a funny numbing sensation in my right foot.
finger: With fingers numbed by this tingling pain, Feel I'm dying every moment of this silicone day.
pain: All I deserved was to numb the pain of daily living.
feeling: A dead, numbing feeling was creeping up their limbs.

Preposition: with

anesthetic: Day Unknown The microphone slips from my hands which are still numb with anesthetic.
shock: As I lay there numb with shock I began to wonder what could be wrong.
cold: I was immersed up to my chin and everything below was numb with cold.

Modifying Another Word

emotionally: There may also be a feeling of being distant from loved ones or a feeling of being emotionally numb.
comfortably: Then we had to add a little bit, because Roger wanted to do the line, " I have become comfortably numb " .
completely: I just stood there for a minute, completely numb.
totally: He seemed a bit moody and we were all totally numb as we had been standing in the freezing cold for hours!

Modifies a noun

bum: There are five main problems with this chair: I get a numb bum.
finger: Numb fingers took us three pitches up the tower then we cut left across the couloir for a couple of long pitches.
sensation: In addition several patients had trembling and a few developed a tingling, burning or numb sensation in their hands and feet.
nut: Anyone can say " Shut up, numb nut, I'm trying to give a talk here.
patch: It feels like i have a big numb patch deep inside of me.
feeling: I want to know will the numb feeling ever go away.

Used with adjective complement

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