numb

Everyday

1. Numb means a part of your body cannot feel anything, for example from cold or from medicine. tree →
2. Numb means feeling no emotion for a while, after a shock or sad news. tree →
3. To numb is to make a part of the body lose feeling. tree →

In the lessons

In health and safety lessons: very cold fingers or toes that go numb and white may be frostbite, so warm them slowly and tell an adult; dentists numb your mouth with an injection so fillings do not hurt; sitting on your leg can make it numb (pins and needles). In stories, numb shows a character in shock. Phrases: go numb, numb with cold, numb with shock.

Examples

• My fingers went numb in the snow. tree →
• The dentist numbed my tooth before the filling. tree →
• My leg is numb because I sat on it. tree →
• She felt numb when she heard the sad news. tree →
• Put on gloves before your hands go numb. tree →
• The cold water made my feet numb. tree →
• The cream numbs the skin. tree →
• He was numb with shock after the accident. tree →
• Her little hands were almost numbed with cold. tree →

Note

The b is silent: pronounced «num». Trap: the comparative «number» (more numb) is spelled the same as number (1, 2, 3) but said differently; it is rarely used, say «more numb». Noun: numbness.