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
Keeping one breast leaves a small chance that the cancer will return, but Simpson said the possibility was worth it to her to avoid numbness across much of her chest from having the nerves removed along with the mammary tissue.
—
Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Both her grief and numbness are palpably captured by De Pue’s camera.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Pay attention, however, to warning signs such as numbness, tingling, sharp pain, or next-day joint swelling, Wickham added.
—Danielle Zickl, Health, 26 Feb. 2026
Her sleep was getting worse, and the tingling numbness in her hands returned.
—Sarah Boden, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
Frostbite symptoms include redness or skin pain, white or grayish-yellow skin areas, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy and numbness, according to the CDC.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Rather than involving the wrist’s median nerve, the ulnar nerve in the elbow is compressed, resulting in numbness and tingling in some fingers along with aching pain in the elbow.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
This is just one in a series of rituals designed to liven up the tedium of wealth, just another game in service of manipulating others while pushing back against an all-encompassing numbness.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
Emotional numbness is mistaken for professionalism.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Both her grief and numbness are palpably captured by De Pue’s camera.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Pay attention, however, to warning signs such as numbness, tingling, sharp pain, or next-day joint swelling, Wickham added.
—Danielle Zickl, Health, 26 Feb. 2026
Her sleep was getting worse, and the tingling numbness in her hands returned.
—Sarah Boden, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
Frostbite symptoms include redness or skin pain, white or grayish-yellow skin areas, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy and numbness, according to the CDC.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Rather than involving the wrist’s median nerve, the ulnar nerve in the elbow is compressed, resulting in numbness and tingling in some fingers along with aching pain in the elbow.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
This is just one in a series of rituals designed to liven up the tedium of wealth, just another game in service of manipulating others while pushing back against an all-encompassing numbness.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
Emotional numbness is mistaken for professionalism.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numbness
Noun
-
The impossibility of keeping up breeds apathy and stymies opposition.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
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After decades of apathy--which has pushed the nation to a fiscal precipice--some officials are now reaching across the aisle to propose solutions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The emptiness was an eerie reminder of how the country felt during Covid-19.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
-
In another photographer’s hands, Atget’s subjects, which show how thought and vision can work in tandem with emptiness, would likely be only a backdrop to the drama of humanity.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In just the last week, two men had fainted from heat stroke, and another had coughed up a smear of bloody phlegm.—
Kanak Kapur,
New Yorker,
28 Dec. 2025
-
Symptoms may include: irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; coughing; phlegm; chest tightness; and shortness of breath.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Makio’s relationship with Shingo is rich and complicated, revealing new vulnerabilities in a character whose initially somewhat off-putting in her coldness.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
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Ideal snowmaking conditions today require a dewpoint temperature – the combination of coldness and humidity – of around 28 F (-2 C) or less.—
Sunshine Swetnam,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But Rossellini looks at it with a certain detachment, almost with gratitude rather than pride.—
Monica Coviello,
Vanity Fair,
8 Mar. 2026
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In the note, Washington assigns De Hart to the command of a detachment to patrol an area around Paramus, New Jersey.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Numbness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numbness. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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