adjective / verb
numb
NUM/nʌm/
Unable to feel physical sensation.
The forearm is numb, so the person cannot feel the clinician's light touch.
Etymology
From a verb meaning “take” or “seize,” numb originally pictured someone seized by cold, shock, or palsy and unable to feel or act. This loss of feeling also became an image for emotional insensitivity.
In context
you might feel numb depressed or foggy but moving through the stages of grief is natural and healthy
More examples
- The dentist numbs my gums before starting the procedure.
- My foot goes numb when I sit on it.
- The ice pack numbed the skin around my swollen ankle.
Forms
numb · number · numbest · numbs · numbed · numbing
numbness noun — The absence of normal physical sensation.
Similar words
- anesthetized
- Specifically describes sensation blocked by drugs, usually for medical procedures.
- deadened
- Can describe sensation that is reduced rather than entirely absent.