numb
UK: nʌm | US: nʌm
adj. lacking physical sensation or emotional responsiveness
vt. to cause someone or something to lose sensation or feeling
The word "numb" traces back to Middle English nome or nomen, derived from the past participle of Old English niman ("to take"), influenced by the related Old English benumen ("deprived"). Over time, the meaning shifted from "taken away" to "deprived of sensation," reflecting the loss of physical or emotional feeling. The silent "b" was added in Early Modern English due to mistaken association with Latin-derived words ending in "-mb" (e.g., "dumb").
Her fingers grew numb from the cold.
The shock left him emotionally numb.
The dentist used a gel to numb the area before the injection.
He felt numb after hearing the tragic news.
The icy wind numbed my face within minutes.