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
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The numbness remained even when he was told that his daughter’s condition would likely improve with a stem cell transplant—his fear of a terminal diagnosis could be assuaged.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026 -
If not treated early, the infection can progress to more serious symptoms, such as joint swelling and arthritis, nerve pain, tingling or numbness, facial muscle weakness, heart inflammation and difficulties with memory or concentration.—
Emily Bache,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Smelling of rotting grapes, the phlegm is musty and acetone-tinged, like a decanter of red wine forgotten in a dark kitchen corner after a dinner party, left to turn into vinegar.—
Courtney Crowder,
Des Moines Register,
15 Mar. 2026
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Psychological treatment for anxiety and increased masking in public are in many cases sufficient to treat this unfortunate buildup of phlegm and embarrassment.—
Alexis Wilkinson,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Other barriers to having home-cooked, nutritious food could include lack of motivation, medications or losing the sense of taste or smell that may lead to apathy about food.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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There was a pervasive sense of cultural apathy regarding the study of the past that was growing stronger by the minute, as if the world had already accrued the maximum knowledge of prior civilizations and required nothing further in order to barrel onward into the future.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Inner emptiness has always been a fixation of Ye.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
-
While fans would have surely loved to get any of these songs over the past five years in lieu of the chaos of 2020s-era Ye, there’s still an emptiness at the heart of Bully.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Affectlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affectlessness. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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