Another Word for Numb

Mild · A little, in the background

muted

Feelings are there, but turned down low.

flat

No highs, no lows, just level.

dazed

Briefly stunned and slow to react.

spaced out

Casual, your mind is somewhere else.

foggy

Thoughts and feelings feel hazy.

subdued

Quieter and less expressive than usual.

on autopilot

Going through the motions without much feeling.

Moderate · Clearly there, hard to ignore

detached

Watching your life from a step away.

deadened

Emotions feel dulled by repetition or pain.

desensitized

So used to something it no longer moves you.

blank

Your mind or feelings go empty when you expect a reaction.

zoned out

Informal, mentally checked out.

emotionless

No visible or felt emotional response.

insensible

Unable to register what is happening.

Intense · Strong, taking over

shell-shocked

Stunned into numbness by something overwhelming.

switched off

Informal, so numb you barely move or respond.

frozen

Unable to feel or act at all.

empty

A hollow absence where feeling should be.

dead inside

Blunt everyday phrase for total emotional shutdown.

dissociated

Feeling unreal or disconnected from yourself.

stunned

Shocked into silence and stillness.

I feel numb after the news.

I feel shell-shocked after the news and have not cried yet.

I have been numb at work.

I have been on autopilot at work all week.

I feel numb about the violence on TV.

I feel desensitized to the violence on TV, and that bothers me.

Since the funeral I am just numb.

Since the funeral everything feels muted, like it is happening behind glass.