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
  • Obviously, that’s a fair assumption if his ice time is meaningfully reduced, and the same goes for Draisaitl.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The development comes as the global shipping industry contends with attacks around the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, higher energy prices, and sharply reduced traffic through some of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduced
Adjective
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to reveal details of the administration’s sanctions plans later today on a country which has so far been numb to economic pain.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Then, in late May 1986, Kontras, whose tall, athletic build discloses a lifelong dedication to good health, noticed a swelling on the left side of his back that was numb to the touch.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 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
  • Video appears to show the operator asleep moments before the collision.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The second drug is a paralytic that freezes the body from the outside in, creating the effect that the person is peacefully asleep.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 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
  • And the Ku Klux Klan, though diminished from its earlier power, had not disappeared.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The value of a geographic component in roster management has diminished.
    — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminished
Verb
  • Airstrikes have weakened the regime militarily but strengthened its standing internally.
    — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That mechanism has weakened substantially since the global financial crisis, and particularly since 2020.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 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 30 Aug. 2026.

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