# numb

/ˈnəm/ (US) · /nˈʌm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/numb
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. no physical feeling

adjective · CEFR B1

unable to feel anything in a part of your body, often because of cold or an injury.

For teachers: deprived of physical sensation, typically due to cold, restricted circulation, or anaesthesia.

- My fingers went numb after I spent an hour outside in the snow without gloves.
- The patient reported that her lower lip remained numb for several hours following the dental procedure, making it difficult for her to speak clearly.

Usage: Often follows the verb 'to go' or 'to feel'.

### 2. no emotional feeling

adjective · CEFR B2

unable to feel or react to emotions because of a big shock or great sadness.

For teachers: emotionally desensitised or unresponsive, usually as a psychological defence mechanism against trauma or grief.

- She felt completely numb after hearing the news of the accident.
- In the weeks following the tragedy, he moved through his daily routine in a numb state, unable to process the magnitude of his loss.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse this with 'bored'; clarify that 'numb' implies a heavy, shocked state rather than a lack of interest.

### 3. to make unfeeling

verb · CEFR B2

to make a part of the body or a feeling lose its sensation.

For teachers: to deprive of sensation or to render a feeling less intense. Transitive — requires a direct object.

- The doctor gave him an injection to numb the area before the stitches.
- He used work as a distraction to numb the pain of his recent heartbreak, staying at the office until late every evening.

Usage: Takes a direct object, such as a body part or an emotion.

## Examples

- My fingers went numb in the cold.
- She felt numb after hearing the sudden news about her job.
- The sheer scale of the disaster left the survivors feeling emotionally numb, unable to process their grief immediately.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.