- deprived of feeling through cold, shock, etc
- unable to move; paralysed
- to make numb; deaden, shock, or paralyse
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
numb /nʌm/USA pronunciation
adj., -er, -est, v.
adj.
v. [~ + object]
numb•ly, adv.
numb•ness, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026adj.
- Pathologyincapable of feeling sensations, as if under the effects of anesthesia:fingers that were numb with cold.
- empty of emotion;
stunned:felt numb with grief.
v. [~ + object]
- to make numb.
numb•ly, adv.
numb•ness, n. [uncountable]
numb
(num),USA pronunciation adj. -er, -est, v.
adj.
v.t.
numb′ly, adv.
numb′ness, n.
adj.
- Pathologydeprived of physical sensation or the ability to move:fingers numb with cold.
- manifesting or resembling numbness:a numb sensation.
- incapable of action or of feeling emotion;
enervated;
prostrate:numb with grief. - lacking or deficient in emotion or feeling;
indifferent:She was numb to their pleas for mercy.
v.t.
- to make numb.
- late Middle English nome literally, taken, seized, variant of nomen, numen, Old English numen, past participle of niman to take, nim1 1400–50
numb′ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
numb /nʌm/ adj
'numbed' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):