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
  • Although the details of the project – including how the money would be divided between states and how exactly water use would be reduced – are currently undetermined.
    — Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
  • At a time when Iran dominates political headlines, this novel offered a deeply human perspective on a country too often reduced to geopolitics.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduced
Adjective
  • My hand instantly went numb, the wrist and fingers falling limp and useless.
    — Todd Orr, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026
  • As people around her begin slipping into an emotionally numb trance described as being eclipsed, the boundaries between Bego’s imagination, the digital world and physical reality begin to dissolve.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of numb
Verb
  • Imagine trying to swallow a sip of water while your face feels stuffed with congestion, your sense of taste is dulled and your body is floating 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth.
    — Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Its ubiquity has dulled its wow factor, and buyers associate it with builder-standard.
    — Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 31 July 2026
Definition of dulled
Adjective
  • The boys' parents were asleep at home when the children took the keys to the car, the family member told KGO.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But much like with movement, the report highlights the evidence that suggests consistency matters as much as time asleep.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of asleep
Verb
  • Weary of seeing people pick their teeth with daggers, Cardinal Richelieu has knives blunted in royal France.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Decades of declining violent crime have further blunted the public appetite for executions.
    — Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
Definition of blunted
Verb
  • The district, which previously favored Democrats, now tilts toward Republicans, and some Memphis voters have raised concerns that their representation has been diminished.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Comparisons with 2023, when European river flows were generally around average, show just how diminished some of these key waterways are.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminished
Verb
  • Except that the original ideas about the fundamental value of basic research have only been confirmed during this period, not weakened.
    — Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But his father had come home later than usual, and his resolve had steadily weakened.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 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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Cite this Entry

“Benumbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumbed. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of benumbed for Spanish Speakers

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