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
Another clue is pain or numbness at the site of the bite.
—
Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
And yet, there’s a kind of collective numbness — a quiet normalisation of the unthinkable.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Though symptoms are unpredictable and most people have a different experience with it, common symptoms include numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes and more, per Johns Hopkins.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms typically include changes to vision, muscle weakness, spasms, numbness, loss of balance and cognitive impairment.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
That swelling can press on nerves, causing numbness or pain.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
In severe cases, spine surgery is often the best option to alleviate the debilitating pain and numbness that are hallmarks of the disease.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2025
The most common side effect was mouth or tongue numbness, due to the drug's delivery method, which was temporary.
—New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2025
Some people have no symptoms, but others may feel pain, tingling, numbness or muscle weakness.
—Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 11 Aug. 2025
Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
And yet, there’s a kind of collective numbness — a quiet normalisation of the unthinkable.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Though symptoms are unpredictable and most people have a different experience with it, common symptoms include numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes and more, per Johns Hopkins.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms typically include changes to vision, muscle weakness, spasms, numbness, loss of balance and cognitive impairment.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
That swelling can press on nerves, causing numbness or pain.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
In severe cases, spine surgery is often the best option to alleviate the debilitating pain and numbness that are hallmarks of the disease.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2025
The most common side effect was mouth or tongue numbness, due to the drug's delivery method, which was temporary.
—New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2025
Some people have no symptoms, but others may feel pain, tingling, numbness or muscle weakness.
—Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numbness
Noun
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His tone shouldn’t be mistaken for apathy.—
Michael Jerome Plunkett
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
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Non-motor symptoms can include depression, anxiety, hallucinations, apathy, sleep disorders, loss of smell, digestive issues and orthostatic hypotension (a sudden drop in blood pressure when standing up), according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Voisin — who played another hero of a French classic in Xavier Giannoli’s 2021 adaptation of Balzac’s Lost Illusions — carries the entire drama as a lost soul whose physical beauty (perfect jawline, killer abs) can hardly conceal the emptiness inside of him.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
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When Scout died, Watson was left grappling with an emptiness that followed her home each day.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The second is having either 10 or more pack years of smoking, or symptoms of cough, phlegm and trouble breathing.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
28 Aug. 2025
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Diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease is made via chest X-ray, urine test and lab analysis of a phlegm sample.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But to the other, this is often construed as coldness or indifference.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Even when the glassy lakes thaw back into water, there’s this coldness that lingers.—
Leila Chatti
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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At first look, naming wars after their location, participants, starting date or duration might appear to be an exercise in objective detachment.—
Esther Brito Ruiz,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
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Notably, psychological detachment (truly unplugging) and physical activity during time away were the strongest drivers of improvement.—
Michelle Stansbury,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Numbness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numbness. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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