as in apathy
a lack of emotion or emotional expressiveness
the prisoner exhibited the numbness of someone who had spent more years behind bars than he could remember
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Recent Examples of numbness
Over time, some people even begin experiencing side effects, emotional numbness or a feeling that the medication is no longer helping in the same way.
—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Webb, the Oklahoma radiologist, documented four times that a patient lacked numbness, and yet his WISeR application was still denied, citing numbness, which, in the reviewer's interpretation, would rule out the spinal surgery procedure.
—
Darius Tahir,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Some report numbness or tingling in their hand and feet, or balance problems.
—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
23 June 2026
If skin contact occurs, those spines can break off in the skin, leading to a burning and stinging sensation, followed by numbness, tingling, swelling, and nausea.
—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
However, the symptoms can involve the hands and wrist, too, such as weakness, numbness and tingling there.
—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
The pain-free recovery is also thanks to temporary numbness.
—
Michele Promaulayko,
Allure,
17 June 2026
About 50% to 75% of people with NF2 will also develop benign tumors on the brain or along the spine, which can cause symptoms like pain, numbness and weakness.
—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Driggers underwent 28 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments and still has numbness in his feet and hands.
—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Webb, the Oklahoma radiologist, documented four times that a patient lacked numbness, and yet his WISeR application was still denied, citing numbness, which, in the reviewer's interpretation, would rule out the spinal surgery procedure.
—
Darius Tahir,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Some report numbness or tingling in their hand and feet, or balance problems.
—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
23 June 2026
If skin contact occurs, those spines can break off in the skin, leading to a burning and stinging sensation, followed by numbness, tingling, swelling, and nausea.
—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
However, the symptoms can involve the hands and wrist, too, such as weakness, numbness and tingling there.
—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
The pain-free recovery is also thanks to temporary numbness.
—
Michele Promaulayko,
Allure,
17 June 2026
About 50% to 75% of people with NF2 will also develop benign tumors on the brain or along the spine, which can cause symptoms like pain, numbness and weakness.
—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Driggers underwent 28 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments and still has numbness in his feet and hands.
—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numbness
Noun
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This matches a symptom of Alzheimer’s in men, who are likely to display signs of apathy, said Jaime Ross, a neuroscientist and the research paper’s senior author.
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The council’s decision to shelve so many reforms will only fuel public apathy and distrust, said Ross Weistroffer, an organizer with Fair Rep LA Coalition, a group of nonprofits that pushes for good government and fair representation.
Noun
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Work gives you somewhere to point your attention, somewhere to put the grief, the sadness, the emptiness.
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The condition is marked by intense emotional swings, a chronic feeling of emptiness, and a deep fear of abandonment.
Noun
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Veeze’s signature rapping voice, which sounds like his vocal cords are coated in phlegm and cough syrup, is increasingly versatile, despite the sometimes half-asleep delivery.
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In addition, not everyone can produce phlegm easily, including children, the elderly and those weakened by disease.
Noun
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Her fierce intelligence helps paper over some of the screenplay’s rougher transitions, and even lends a measure of legibility to Sylvia’s sudden coldness.
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The bureaucratic coldness of Bolshevik Communism and the violent regressions of Fascism were yet worse.
Noun
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There was empathy, but also a sense of professional detachment.
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After a short hike through a loblolly pine forest to the beach, there's a feeling of near-complete detachment from the rest of the world.
Cite this Entry
“Numbness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numbness. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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