numbness

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of numbness Those include numbness and tingling around the mouth and fingertips, trouble walking, talking or swallowing, sometimes weakness in the upper or lower extremity, balance issues or struggles with episodic memory. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The Massachusetts mother asked to change her medications nearly every day, saying the drugs were causing intrusive thoughts, insomnia and numbness, said one of her other providers, Rebecca Jollotta. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026 This postpartum depression became the condition under which which her addiction escalated, as Panettiere described needing a rush dopamine or something else to break through the numbness. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026 Postpartum depression, affecting 1 in 7 women, often presents as intrusive thoughts, rage, or numbness, not just sadness, leading to unrecognized symptoms. — John Samuels, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Blurry vision, a stiff neck, hypersensitive skin, numbness and weakness that would come and go. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026 Key Takeaways Taking more than 40 milligrams of zinc daily for long periods can cause copper deficiency and damage the nervous system, causing irreversible issues like numbness, muscle weakness, and vision problems. — Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 11 Aug. 2026 Multiple sclerosis is a disease that causes the breakdown of the protective covering of nerves, resulting in numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes and other symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026 Pain, numbness or tingling in the lower extremities can point to an orthopedic issue, but the same sensations can also signal prostate cancer that has spread. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numbness
  1. apathy
  2. emptiness
  3. phlegm
  4. coldness
  5. insensibility
  6. detachment
Noun
  • The result, says Roya, is deepening apathy among her fellow citizens, whose preoccupation now is just getting by.
    — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The moms Naturepedic surveyed simply want to do fewer chores—that means that partners and kids really need to step it up to make sure everyone is pulling their weight around the house, not just leaving it all to mom out of apathy.
    — Parents, Parents, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of apathy
Noun
  • What makes this emptiness more bothersome is the cavalier way Wingard wields the imagery of rogue, militarized killers wreaking havoc on the American landscape.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Bring In Texture Layering décor is a sure way to absorb a room’s visual emptiness.
    — Shagun Khare, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of emptiness
Noun
  • Your Mucus Changes Changes in mucus (phlegm) are among the most common signs of a COPD flare-up.
    — MD Published, Verywell Health, 6 Aug. 2026
  • European colonists commonly believed that the balance of humors – yellow and black biles, blood and phlegm – circulating through one’s body was important for health.
    — Katherine Ott, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of phlegm
Noun
  • The danger occurs if that ruthlessness veers into institutional coldness.
    — James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The music recalled the angst and coldness of Carpenter’s movie scores but with more robust arrangements, buttressed by Davies’ guitar.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of coldness
Noun
  • The famous Lord Chesterfield[5] counselled his son that he should never be seen to laugh; and that gravity with real or apparent insensibility is a universal characteristic of the savage.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
Definition of insensibility
Noun
  • Whether through psychological detachment, restorative activities like sauna, or adequate sleep, recovery protects the capacities leaders need to operate effectively.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Apple’s gyrations are the latest demonstration of the stock’s increasing detachment from the broader market.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of detachment

Browse Nearby Words

numbing
numbness
numbs
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Cite this Entry

“Numbness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numbness. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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