Definition and Use of Numb | Generated by AI

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“Numb” means unable to feel — either physically or emotionally.

Here are the main meanings in English:

  1. Physical numbness (most common everyday use)
    When a part of your body loses sensation and you can’t feel anything there (usually temporarily).
    • Examples:
      • My fingers are numb from the cold.
      • After the dentist’s injection, my mouth felt completely numb.
      • I sat on my leg too long and now it’s numb and tingly.
  2. Emotional numbness
    Feeling emotionally “dead” inside — unable to feel joy, sadness, anger, etc. (often because of shock, trauma, depression, or long-term stress).
    • Examples:
      • After the bad news, she just felt numb and couldn’t cry.
      • He became numb to the violence after seeing it every day.
      • “I’m feeling really numb lately, like nothing matters.”
  3. To numb (verb)
    To make something/someone unable to feel (physically or emotionally).
    • The medicine will numb the pain.
    • Some people drink alcohol to numb their feelings.

In very casual/slang contexts (not super common), it can sometimes mean “extremely cool” or “awesome” (like in some hip-hop/rap circles), but 99% of the time people mean the “no feeling” sense.

Which context did you see “numb” in? 😄 (song, conversation, medical thing?)


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