as in numbness
a lack of emotion or emotional expressiveness
though she always acts so blasé about everything, I think her air of affectlessness is largely put on
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affectlessness
Noun
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One assumes his numbness will eventually disappear.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026 -
People may not notice frostbite developing because numbness often comes before pain.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In just the last week, two men had fainted from heat stroke, and another had coughed up a smear of bloody phlegm.—
Kanak Kapur,
New Yorker,
28 Dec. 2025
-
Symptoms may include: irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; coughing; phlegm; chest tightness; and shortness of breath.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Once viewed as mere support cells for neurons, astrocytes are now thought to help tune brain circuits and thereby control overall brain state or mood — say, our level of alertness, anxiousness, or apathy.—
Ingrid Wickelgren,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Jan. 2026
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The tension between human need and the superior power of machine apathy has always been part of HEALTH’s music.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Kerr and several staffers compared the emptiness around downtown, coupled with the frigid temperatures outside, to feelings that existed during COVID.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Many roads in Austin remained icy on Monday morning and many coffee shops and restaurants echoed the emptiness on the streets with their own temporary closures.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Affectlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affectlessness. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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