numbing

1 of 2

adjective

numb·​ing ˈnə-miŋ 

: tending or serving to make numb or spiritless

losing by a numbing margin

a numbing lecture

numbingly adverb

numbing

2 of 2

present participle of numb entry 2

Synonyms of numbing

Adjective

• boring
• tiring
• slow
• wearying
• weary
• dull
• stupid
• old
• dusty
• heavy

Examples of numbing in a Sentence

Adjective

an utterly numbing class in statistics

the numbing air of that wintry morning

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Jane Schoenbrun’s latest movie, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, is shocking, emotional, provocative, numbing, warm, witty, and surreal. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

The result is a documentary that implicitly honors these incredible doctors, but more acutely leverages their plight to address the numbing exasperation that such an atrocity is designed to instill among otherwise good people. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026

The wings are savory, fragrant, and mildly spicy, with a subtle numbing sensation from the peppercorns that adds depth without overpowering the dish. — Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Now after four years of ongoing horrors in Ukraine, and more than two years of watching slaughter and suffering in Gaza, the latest war filling our feeds is just another numbing form of content, a digital arena in which competing forces try to assert conflicting viewpoints. — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of numb entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

1581, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing numbing

• mind-numbing

Rhymes for numbing

• coming
• cumming
• drumming
• gumming
• humming
• plumbing
• strumming
• summing
• thrumming
• thumbing
• becoming
• forthcoming