benumbed 1 of 2

adjective

as in numbed
lacking in sensation or feeling my benumbed ears took a few minutes to warm up after the frigid air outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

benumbed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of benumb
as in reduced
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling a succession of personal tragedies had benumbed him to all grief

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for benumbed
  1. numbed
  2. reduced
  3. numb
  4. dulled
  5. asleep
  6. blunted
  7. diminished
  8. weakened
Adjective
  • When Bill’s older brother Henry (Barry Ward) finds the pianist in numbed solitude in his dingy apartment, Bill has canceled all his upcoming gigs, saying Scotty cannot be replaced.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Ingber also notes the numbed response to these strikes from much of the American public, something that, in part, may come from the routine nature of these drone strikes as something that the nation has become desensitized to dropping bombs on enemies.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of numbed
Verb
  • Newcastle end the window with the squad’s average age and wage bill significantly reduced.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Households reduced fuel consumption due to elevated prices owed to the Middle East conflict, and cut domestic and international travel.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of reduced
Adjective
  • When the old man dies, her numb reaction appears caught between grief and relief, though her two adult sons show little understanding of her emotional state.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Be sure to start below the injury and wrap upward, overlapping each layer but never so tightly that fingers or toes become numb or painful.
    — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of numb
Verb
  • The sparkle in her eyes had dulled and her smile seemed forced.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Decades of scrolling have dulled our senses somewhat; this is inevitable.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dulled
Adjective
  • Since staterooms are clustered closely together, keeping voices down in hallways—especially late at night—shows consideration for neighbors who may already be asleep.
    — Jill Schildhouse, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Video appears to show the operator asleep moments before the collision.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of asleep
Verb
  • The defeat blunted Baltimore's bid to make some progress in the crowded race for the final AL wild-card spot.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Exports flowing from Saudi ports have blunted some of the impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of blunted
Verb
  • Inside one, the individual is both multiplied and diminished.
    — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The persuasiveness of these efforts, however, is diminished when a WRO is modified without transparency and despite readily accessible evidence indicating that conditions for the workers have not truly improved.
    — Charity Ryerson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of diminished
Verb
  • Today, the yen has weakened 57% from a low of about 103 in January 2021 to a high of 163 in July, before a rare joint intervention from both Washington and Tokyo strengthened the currency to its current levels of about 160.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Sprout Social's 2026 Influencer Marketing Report found that recommendation feeds have weakened the link between follower count and reach.
    — Zoe Huang, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of weakened
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.

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benumb
benumbed
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Cite this Entry

“Benumbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumbed. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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