1
: unable to feel anything in a particular part of your body especially as a result of cold or anesthesia
It was so cold that my fingers went numb.
2
: unable to think, feel, or react normally because of something that shocks or upsets you : indifferent
He stood there numb with fear.
numbness
noun
numbed; numbing
: to make (someone or something) numb: such as
a
: to cause (a part of the body) to lose sensation
hands numbed by the cold
The injection will numb the area to be operated on.
b
: to impair in force or sensation : deaden
trying to numb the pain
c
: to make (someone) unable to think, feel, or react normally
But there is no humor in Natural Born Killers. It is a relentlessly bloody story designed to shock us and to numb us further to the senselessness of reckless murder.—
Michael Shnayerson
Michael ShnayersonIn her last book, Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag disputes the notion that viewers are numbed by an onslaught of photographed calamities.—Dennis Lim
Dennis LimBut Madame Melmotte was neither crushed by grief nor did she affect to be so crushed. She had been numbed by the suddenness and by the awe of the catastrophe.—Anthony Trolloppe
Anthony TrolloppeSynonyms
Examples of numb in a Sentence
Adjective
The side of my face was still numb an hour after the surgery.
I had a numb feeling in my toes.
It was so cold that my fingers went numb.
A stroke can cause one side of your body to go numb.
Her son had died and she just felt numb.
He stood there numb with fear.
Verb
wait for the medication to numb your mouth
Recent Examples on the Web
Lindsay Curtis, Health, 1 Nov. 2024
O’Connell tried to tough it out and stay in the game, but his thumb was numb.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 21 Oct. 2024
Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2024
Volunteering with Ignite Adaptive Sports at Eldora Mountain Resort used to involve more than serving long hours in sometimes numbing cold, snow and winter winds to help people with disabilities learn to ski and snowboard.
—John Meyer, The Denver Post, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for numb 
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Adjective
Avoid using direct heat, like hot water or heating pads, because numb skin can quickly burn.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 1 Nov. 2024
O’Connell tried to tough it out and stay in the game, but his thumb was numb.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
Your healthcare provider may also offer a local anesthetic to numb the area around your cervix to make the process more comfortable.
Factors Affecting IUD Insertion Pain
How painful IUD insertion is varies from person to person.
—Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2024
Volunteering with Ignite Adaptive Sports at Eldora Mountain Resort used to involve more than serving long hours in sometimes numbing cold, snow and winter winds to help people with disabilities learn to ski and snowboard.
—John Meyer, The Denver Post, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for numb
Dictionary Entries Near numb
Cite this Entry
“Numb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/numb. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
numb
adjective
: devoid of sensation (as from the administration of anesthesia or exposure to cold)
numb
transitive verb
Arm or leg surgery, even total hip replacements, now can be performed with regional anesthesia, which numbs only the area being operated upon.
—Marilyn Chase, The Wall Street Journal
Marilyn Chase, The Wall Street Journal
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