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
Common symptoms include headaches, fever, diarrhea, muscle weakness, tingling or numbness, neck stiffness or flu-like symptoms.
—
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 17 June 2026
The pain-free recovery is also thanks to temporary numbness.
—Michele Promaulayko, Allure, 17 June 2026
About 50% to 75% of people with NF2 will also develop benign tumors on the brain or along the spine, which can cause symptoms like pain, numbness and weakness.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Driggers underwent 28 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments and still has numbness in his feet and hands.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
Claudication that doesn’t improve, wounds that won’t heal, sudden severe swelling and new numbness all warrant a clinician visit.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
Persistent claudication, non-healing wounds, severe swelling and numbness that doesn’t resolve are all reasons to see a clinician.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
The result can be numbness, tingling, burning, or sharp pain which are all signs that the nerve tissue is either trapped in scar tissue or has developed a neuroma, an abnormal healing response at the cut edge of a nerve.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 27 May 2026
However, sharp or radiating pain, numbness, weakness or symptoms that persist beyond 48 to 72 hours should not be dismissed as ordinary soreness.
—Dr. Kęstutis Braziulis, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 17 June 2026
The pain-free recovery is also thanks to temporary numbness.
—Michele Promaulayko, Allure, 17 June 2026
About 50% to 75% of people with NF2 will also develop benign tumors on the brain or along the spine, which can cause symptoms like pain, numbness and weakness.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Driggers underwent 28 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments and still has numbness in his feet and hands.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
Claudication that doesn’t improve, wounds that won’t heal, sudden severe swelling and new numbness all warrant a clinician visit.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
Persistent claudication, non-healing wounds, severe swelling and numbness that doesn’t resolve are all reasons to see a clinician.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
The result can be numbness, tingling, burning, or sharp pain which are all signs that the nerve tissue is either trapped in scar tissue or has developed a neuroma, an abnormal healing response at the cut edge of a nerve.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 27 May 2026
However, sharp or radiating pain, numbness, weakness or symptoms that persist beyond 48 to 72 hours should not be dismissed as ordinary soreness.
—Dr. Kęstutis Braziulis, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numbness
Noun
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The council’s decision to shelve so many reforms will only fuel public apathy and distrust, said Ross Weistroffer, an organizer with Fair Rep LA Coalition, a group of nonprofits that pushes for good government and fair representation.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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The league has taken steps to address tanking, but curbing that problem alone won’t stop injury issues that are just as much a part of the growing apathy that many fans feel towards the regular season.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
The condition is marked by intense emotional swings, a chronic feeling of emptiness, and a deep fear of abandonment.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
11 June 2026
-
Interstellar space is unforgivingly vast, but the emptiness has some advantages.—
Kai James,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Veeze’s signature rapping voice, which sounds like his vocal cords are coated in phlegm and cough syrup, is increasingly versatile, despite the sometimes half-asleep delivery.—
Matthew Ritchie,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
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In addition, not everyone can produce phlegm easily, including children, the elderly and those weakened by disease.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Her fierce intelligence helps paper over some of the screenplay’s rougher transitions, and even lends a measure of legibility to Sylvia’s sudden coldness.—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
-
The bureaucratic coldness of Bolshevik Communism and the violent regressions of Fascism were yet worse.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Founders built authority through minimalism, detachment or a kind of calculated neutrality.—
Partner Content,
Variety,
10 June 2026
-
Her face, usually settled into a general look of detachment, would take on deeply significant expressions, all revolving around a plea for forgiveness.—
Andrea Bajani,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Numbness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numbness. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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