1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

affectlessness

noun

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affectlessness
  1. numbness
  2. phlegm
  3. apathy
  4. emptiness
Noun
  • Peripheral neuropathy, which describes any nerve damage outside the brain and spinal cord, can cause numbness, loss of reflexes, difficulty moving, and pain, per Cleveland Clinic.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Too Much Vitamin B6 and Nerve Damage Taking high doses of B6 may cause numbness, a pins-and-needles sensation, or pain in your legs, impairing your ability to walk.
    — Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of numbness
Noun
  • Any confusion, difficulty walking, shortness of breath or coughing up significant phlegm should prompt an immediate descent.
    — Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Your Mucus Changes Changes in mucus (phlegm) are among the most common signs of a COPD flare-up.
    — MD Published, Verywell Health, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of phlegm
Noun
  • The reduction ranged from 16% in the region tied to planning (dorsal putamen) to 20% in the region most closely tied to motivation and apathy (ventral striatum).
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Lazy is a character judgment requiring atonement, while apathy is a syndrome requiring treatment.
    — Michael P.H. Stanley, STAT, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of apathy
Noun
  • Markets have seen through the emptiness of Bessent’s remedy, as ‘bond vigilantes’ have driven bond yields even higher despite Bessent’s band-aids.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Drugs ravaged the streets, leaving needles and even more emptiness in their wake.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of emptiness
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.

Browse Nearby Words

affectless
affectlessness
affects
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Affectlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affectlessness. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All