numb

[nuhm] /nʌm/
adjective, number, numbest.
1.
deprived of physical sensation or the ability to move:
fingers numb with cold.
2.
manifesting or resembling numbness:
a numb sensation.
3.
incapable of action or of feeling emotion; enervated; prostrate:
numb with grief.
4.
lacking or deficient in emotion or feeling; indifferent:
She was numb to their pleas for mercy.
verb (used with object)
5.
to make numb.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English nome literally, taken, seized, variant of nomen, numen, Old English numen, past participle of niman to take, nim1
Related forms
numbly, adverb
numbness, noun
half-numb, adjective
unnumbed, adjective
Examples from the web for numb
  • Because numbness can cause a decrease in feeling, you may be more likely to accidentally injure a numb hand or foot.
  • Seeing them in print now has that vague quality of the numb haze after too much wine the late night before.
  • Nerve endings in the extremities go numb or tingle as if pricked by thousands of needles.
  • Then you venture into the water up to your ankles, and your feet promptly go numb.
  • Frequent and prolonged jackhammer use can turn a laborer's fingers white and numb.
  • They needed to numb my eye to look in it and found a corneal abrasion.
  • Within about an hour of wearing these, his hands went numb and never warmed up.
  • We take it for granted that our hair dryers won't send us to the emergency room and our toothbrushes won't make us go numb.
  • Among the reviewer's quibbles are numb steering, a lack of low-end torque, and too much body roll at turn-in.
  • The doctor will inject your spine with medicine to make you numb from your waist down.
British Dictionary definitions for numb

numb

/nʌm/
adjective
1.
deprived of feeling through cold, shock, etc
2.
unable to move; paralysed
3.
characteristic of or resembling numbness: a numb sensation
verb (transitive)
4.
to make numb; deaden, shock, or paralyse
Derived Forms
numbly, adverb
numbness, noun
Word Origin
C15: nomen, literally: taken (with paralysis), from Old English niman to take; related to Old Norse nema, Old High German niman
Word Origin and History for numb
adj.

c.1400, nome, "deprived of motion or feeling," literally "taken, seized," from past participle of nimen "to take, seize," from Old English niman "to take, catch, grasp" (see nimble). The extraneous -b (to conform to comb, limb, etc.) appeared 17c. The notion is of being "taken" with palsy, shock, and especially cold. Figurative use from 1560s.

v.

1550s, from numb (adj.). Related: Numbed; numbing.

numb in Medicine

numb (nŭm)
adj.

  1. Being unable or only partially able to feel sensation or pain; deadened or anesthetized.

  2. Being emotionally unresponsive; indifferent.

v. numbed, numb·ing, numbs
To make or become numb.
numb'ness n.
Slang definitions & phrases for numb

numb

adjective

Stupid; unresponsive (1950s+)