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Listless vs Numb - What's the difference?

listless | numb | Related terms |

Listless is a related term of numb.


As adjectives the difference between listless and numb

is that listless is lacking energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness while numb is without the power of sensation and motion or feeling; insensible.

As a verb numb is

to cause to become numb.

listless

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Lacking energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness.
  • * 1818 , , Frankenstein , ch. 18:
    • I passed whole days on the lake alone in a little boat, watching the clouds and listening to the rippling of the waves, silent and listless .
  • * 1861 , , The Stokesley Secret , ch. 6:
    • What an entirely different set of beings were those Stokesley children in lesson-time. . . . Poor, listless , stolid, deplorable logs, with bowed backs and crossed ankles, pipy voices and heavy eyes!
  • * 1901 , , The Hero , ch. 21:
    • The scene with Mrs. Wallace had broken his spirit, and he was listless now, indifferent to what happened.
  • * 2005 Nov. 29, Aryn Baker, " John Hardy: Bali Guy," Time :
    • “Listless , inattentive, distracted,” he recited. “A daydreamer. Tries his best, but is too slow.”

    Derived terms

    * listlessly * listlessness

    Anagrams

    *

    numb

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Without the power of sensation and motion or feeling; insensible.
  • Not able to react, surprised, shocked.
  • Causing numbness.
  • * Shakespeare
    • All thin and naked to the numb cold night.

    Antonyms

    * sensible, sensitive

    Derived terms

    * benumb * numbly * numbness * numbnuts

    Related terms

    * numskull

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause to become numb.
    • The dentist gave me novocaine to numb my tooth before drilling, thank goodness.

    Synonyms

    * benumb