Link Centre Dictionary

numb

UK/nʌm/ US/ˈnʌm/ fairly common
adjective (3) verb (1)

adjective

1.

lacking sensation

  • “my foot is asleep”
  • “numb with cold”
Synonyms
Similar
2.

(followed by `to'') not showing human feeling or sensitivity; unresponsive

  • “passersby were dead to our plea for help”
  • “numb to the cries for mercy”
Synonyms
Similar
3.

so frightened as to be unable to move; stunned or paralyzed with terror

  • “petrified with fear”
  • “she was petrified by the eerie sound”
  • “too numb with fear to move”
Synonyms
Similar

verb

1.

make numb or insensitive

  • “The shock numbed her senses”
Synonyms

Origin

From the past participle of nim (“to take”). Compare German benommen (“dazed, numb”) and Old Norse numinn. The final ⟨b⟩ is a later addition; it was never pronounced, and did not appear in the original word.

Phrases

  • numb out

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.