as in apathy
a lack of emotion or emotional expressiveness
the prisoner exhibited the numbness of someone who had spent more years behind bars than he could remember
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Recent Examples of numbness
Same goes if it’s accompanied by other new-to-you symptoms—like numbness, weakness, tingling, fever, weight loss, or issues with bowel or bladder function, all of which can point to conditions that require medical care.
—
Erica Sloan, SELF, 12 Sep. 2025
There’s still quite a bit of numbness in my foot and my thigh as well.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Radiculopathy occurs when something presses on a spinal nerve, causing a sharp, burning, shooting pain; numbness; or weakness along the nerve's pathway.
—Brandi Jones, Health, 6 Sep. 2025
Another clue is pain or numbness at the site of the bite.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
And yet, there’s a kind of collective numbness — a quiet normalisation of the unthinkable.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Though symptoms are unpredictable and most people have a different experience with it, common symptoms include numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes and more, per Johns Hopkins.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms typically include changes to vision, muscle weakness, spasms, numbness, loss of balance and cognitive impairment.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
That swelling can press on nerves, causing numbness or pain.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Erica Sloan, SELF, 12 Sep. 2025
There’s still quite a bit of numbness in my foot and my thigh as well.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Radiculopathy occurs when something presses on a spinal nerve, causing a sharp, burning, shooting pain; numbness; or weakness along the nerve's pathway.
—Brandi Jones, Health, 6 Sep. 2025
Another clue is pain or numbness at the site of the bite.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
And yet, there’s a kind of collective numbness — a quiet normalisation of the unthinkable.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Though symptoms are unpredictable and most people have a different experience with it, common symptoms include numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes and more, per Johns Hopkins.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms typically include changes to vision, muscle weakness, spasms, numbness, loss of balance and cognitive impairment.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
That swelling can press on nerves, causing numbness or pain.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numbness
Noun
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His tone shouldn’t be mistaken for apathy.—
Michael Jerome Plunkett
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Non-motor symptoms can include depression, anxiety, hallucinations, apathy, sleep disorders, loss of smell, digestive issues and orthostatic hypotension (a sudden drop in blood pressure when standing up), according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The emptiness gives her space to think.—
Keith Flanagan,
Architectural Digest,
11 Sep. 2025
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Voisin — who played another hero of a French classic in Xavier Giannoli’s 2021 adaptation of Balzac’s Lost Illusions — carries the entire drama as a lost soul whose physical beauty (perfect jawline, killer abs) can hardly conceal the emptiness inside of him.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The second is having either 10 or more pack years of smoking, or symptoms of cough, phlegm and trouble breathing.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease is made via chest X-ray, urine test and lab analysis of a phlegm sample.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But to the other, this is often construed as coldness or indifference.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Even when the glassy lakes thaw back into water, there’s this coldness that lingers.—
Leila Chatti
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Working longer hours also reduces psychological detachment from work, which is essential for healthy recovery processes from one day to the next.—
Alliance Manchester Business School,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The dialogue will explore her career milestones and the philosophies that have shaped her artistry, including the practice of detachment, a theme both Jones and Akil connect to through lessons learned from Oprah Winfrey.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Numbness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numbness. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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