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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numbness
Noun
-
The comedy follows an aspiring gay playwright who — suffering from a summer of writer’s block and apathy in his Encino apartment — embarks on a flamboyant cruise in his imagination, only to discover that his real life is falling apart around him.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025 -
Resistance in high-structure organizations doesn’t come from apathy.—
Anton Schneerson,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
Common causes of brown phlegm include smoking, exposure to toxins or pollutants in the air, cystic fibrosis, and bacterial lung infections.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
15 June 2025
-
Signs and symptoms include a cough that lasts for three weeks or longer, coughing up blood or phlegm, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, chills and night sweats, according to the CDC.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Burnout is often rooted in chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and a sense of detachment from work or life responsibilities.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Time,
24 June 2025
-
Beyond immediate satisfaction and work performance, this weekend habit addresses critical aspects of modern well-being by providing psychological detachment from work concerns, which is essential for preventing burnout.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Numbness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numbness. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share