numb

Meanings

Adjective

• Physically unable to feel, not having the power of sensation.
• Emotionally unable to feel or respond in a normal way.
• Causing numbness.

Verb

• To cause to become numb (physically or emotionally).
• To cause (a feeling) to be less intense.
• To cause (the mind, faculties, etc.) to be less acute.
• To become numb (especially physically).

Related

Opposite words

• sensible, sensitive

Origin

• From the past participle of nim. Compare German benommen. The final ⟨b⟩ is a later addition to the spelling; it was never pronounced, and did not appear in the original word.