as in numbness
a lack of emotion or emotional expressiveness
though she always acts so blasé about everything, I think her air of affectlessness is largely put on
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affectlessness
Noun
-
Emotional numbness is mistaken for professionalism.—
Kelly Ehlers,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026 -
While both syndromes cause numbness and tingling, only thoracic outlet syndrome causes the hands to become cold due to a lack of circulation.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In just the last week, two men had fainted from heat stroke, and another had coughed up a smear of bloody phlegm.—
Kanak Kapur,
New Yorker,
28 Dec. 2025
-
Symptoms may include: irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; coughing; phlegm; chest tightness; and shortness of breath.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Analysts say the turnout strongly suggests voter apathy, while polling data showed frustrations over crime and the higher cost of living.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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Many of the musicians and audience members belonged to a generation that’s often stereotyped as languishing in apathy and isolation—but whose indignation about the suffering in Gaza has far outpaced that of other generations.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Kerr and several staffers compared the emptiness around downtown, coupled with the frigid temperatures outside, to feelings that existed during COVID.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Many roads in Austin remained icy on Monday morning and many coffee shops and restaurants echoed the emptiness on the streets with their own temporary closures.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Affectlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affectlessness. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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