Numb
/nʌm/
adjectiveverbB2
Definition
Numb describes a state where a part of your body does not feel touch, pain, or temperature. It can also describe a feeling when someone cannot feel emotions like sadness or happiness, often because they are shocked or upset.
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See It in Action
Without physical feeling or sensation
- •My fingers went numb after being in the cold for a long time.
- •The dentist gave me an injection to make my mouth numb before the treatment.
- •After sitting too long, my leg felt numb and tingly.
Emotionally unresponsive or unable to feel feelings
- •She felt numb after hearing the sad news about her friend.
- •Sometimes people feel numb when they are very tired or stressed.
- •After the accident, he was numb and could not cry or react.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "numb" like "no feeling," but more specific—it means your body or feelings are turned off or very quiet
- ✓Picture your hand after it falls asleep—it's there, but you cannot feel it well or move it easily
- ✓It's the feeling when you hear very bad news and your heart feels empty or frozen inside
- ✓Sounds like "thumb" → imagine your thumb is asleep and can't feel anything, just like numb means no feeling
- ✓Think of a frozen lake where the water is hard and cold—nothing moves or feels warm, like numbness in the body or heart
- ✓NOT like "pain" (feeling hurt), numb is the opposite—no feeling at all
- ✓NOT like "cold" (temperature), numb is about loss of feeling, not just temperature change
- ✓NOT like "shock" (strong surprise), numb is the slow or quiet feeling after shock when emotions stop working
Try Other Words
- •Insensitive: not able to feel or notice feelings (Use when focusing more on emotions or reactions, less on physical feeling)
- •Unfeeling: showing no emotion or sympathy (Use when talking about people who do not show feelings)
- •Paralyzed: unable to move or feel (Use when numbness is so strong it stops movement)
- •Deadened: made less sensitive or less emotional (Use when something reduces feeling gradually)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix, simple root word)
- •Etymology: From Old English "numb" meaning "without feeling"
- •Historical development: Used for physical loss of sensation since early English; later used for emotional loss of feeling
- •Modern usage: Used both for body parts losing feeling and for emotional states of being shut down
Reflect & Connect
•Can feeling numb sometimes help people protect themselves from strong emotions? How?
•What are some situations where being numb is helpful, and when is it harmful?
Fill in the blanks
1.My hands became numb because of the ___ weather and I could not feel the keys.
2.After the bad news, she felt numb and could not ___ any sadness or anger.
3.Numbness in the body often happens when blood flow is ___ or when nerves are pressed.
4.Unlike pain, numb means there is ___ feeling or sensation in the area.
5.When people say they are emotionally numb, they mean they do not ___ feelings like usual.
6.The doctor gave me a shot to make my mouth numb so I would not ___ pain during the procedure.
7.After the accident, he was numb and did not ___ what was happening around him.