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

Relevance

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
  • That tariff rate was later reduced to 15% when the two sides agreed on a trade deal, but uncertainty remains about the stability of that agreement and how imports of certain European goods, such as steel, will be taxed by Washington.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Traffic on the critical waterway, through which one-fifth of global crude oil typically flows, has reduced to a trickle since the war started in February.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduced
Adjective
  • 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
  • There is the potential to eventually grow numb to the finances of a Premier League summer.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of numb
Verb
  • Decades of scrolling have dulled our senses somewhat; this is inevitable.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Note that the texture may be slightly less crisp, and the flavor a little dulled once soft spots begin to develop.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of dulled
Adjective
  • Hickerson was said to have been asleep in a bedroom at the time.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Haleigh’s friend Brittney Ketchum was asleep when her phone rang.
    — Dateline NBC, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of asleep
Verb
  • Exports flowing from Saudi ports have blunted some of the impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of blunted
Verb
  • The term refers to when tobacco companies in the 1990s were forced to pay billions of dollars for misleading the public about the safety and potential harms of their products, and subsequently saw their power and influence dramatically diminished.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But the likelihood of finding more survivors has diminished sharply since the first 72 hours after the earthquake.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminished
Verb
  • The ultimate effect of Fedorov appeal to everyone’s better angels, is that Zelensky is weakened, the questions of his electoral legitimacy amplified, and the call for an end to the war bolstered.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Positions have hardened, trust has weakened and the room for quiet resolution has narrowed.
    — Sean Pattwell, Forbes.com, 18 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.

Browse Nearby Words

benumb
benumbed
benumbing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Benumbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benumbed. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on benumbed

Nglish: Translation of benumbed for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All