# numbness

/ˈnəmnəs/ (US) · /nˈʌmnəs/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/numbness
Updated: 2026-05-19

## Definition

a feeling of not being able to feel anything, like when your hands or feet go cold and you lose all feeling. It can also describe a lack of strong emotions or a feeling of being disconnected from a situation.

For teachers: a state of partial or total loss of sensation in a part of the body, or a psychological state of emotional detachment or lack of sensitivity.

## Examples

- The numbness in my fingers went away after I moved them around.
- After the long and difficult meeting, he felt a deep sense of numbness that made it hard to talk to anyone.
- The patient reported a sudden numbness in her left arm, which the doctor suspected was a sign of a neurological issue requiring immediate attention.

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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.