numb, adj. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

numb adj.

1. (US, also numbs) blind drunk; occas. intoxicated by drugs.

1918		in Wisconsin Mag. of Hist. 62 240: I’m not saying that the stuff is non-intoxicating, for one can get ‘numb’ on it [HDAS].
1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 46: The customers come here to get numb off Schlitz.
1958		R. Prather Scrambled Yeggs 57: ‘What are you trying to do, woman?’ I asked her, ‘get me drunk?’ ‘No, silly. I don’t know; I just feel like getting a little stupid. Numb.’.
2002		T. Dorsey Triggerfish Twist (2002) 87: ‘How do you feel?’ asked Bernie. Coleman looked slowly around the room. ‘[...] numb, paralyzed, wired, [...].’.

2. (US, also numbass, numbfuck) stupid.

1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.
1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 160: He’s supposed to be a schooled hustler, down with all games, so how come he lets a bunch of numb-brained fuzz catch him time after time?
1971		H.E. Roberts Third Ear n.p.: numb adj. dumb; stupid.
1975		J. Gould Maine Lingo 192: Numb—A mild version of dumb, in the sense of somewhat stupid. [...] Physical numbness, transferred to intelligence, is suggested by ‘as numb as a pounded thumb.’ A Mainer might call somebody dumb behind his back, but to his face he’d use numb: ‘You seem a little numb about learnin’ how to do that!’ .
1978		S. King Stand (1990) 1145: He threw Raphael, Donatello, and their numbfuck buddies across the store.
1986		S. King It (1987) 112: But the numb cunt he was married to was still on the phone.
2001		S. King Dreamcatcher 116: Jumping up and down now like one of those numbass bootscooters on the The Nashville Network, feeling like a jerk.

numby (n.) (also nummy) [abbr. numbhead ]

(US) a fool, a simpleton.

1902		J.D. Corrothers Black Cat Club 90: ‘Chop down de tree! [...] you nummies!’ yells Uncle Ephum.
1991		J. Walsh ‘Essence, Ltd’ Fringewood News SciFi #3.10 🌐 ‘So it does. But let me warn you, the potions that I’m selling are not toys.’ ‘I realize that. I’m not a numby or a dummy.’.

numbhead (n.) [-head sfx (1)]

(US) a fool.

1757		E. Burr Journal 2 Sept. in New Eng. Qly (1930) 3 314: We are about sending her to school, but Mr Burr is expecting that she will prove a numbhead .
1803		‘C. Caustic’ Petition Against Tractorising Trumpery 90: To rattle like a roll of vellum, And occiput of every numhead To sound as loud as kettle-drum head.
1849		Sam Sly 19 May 3/2: We advise that numhead of a fellow, R. R., Osborne-street, not to sell ha’porth’s of treacle on a Sunday afternoon.
1875		Gallipolis Jrnl (OH) 16 Dec. 1/8: Don’t you know any thing, you numb-head you?
1880		Iola Register (KS) 23 Apr. 8/5: He told the spinster that she was a gone-by old numb-head.
1882		Bourbon News (Millersburg, KY) 30 May 4/3: While the lean and scraggy ones [i.e. girls] were the choice, the numbheads were chasing after them.
1904		Burlington Wkly Free Press (VT) 4 Aug. 6/4: The silly law which the numheads in the Legislature succeeded in putting on the statute books.
1941		in LANE.
1966–70		in DARE.
1975		J. Gould Maine Lingo 192: Numb—A mild version of dumb, in the sense of somewhat stupid. A numb-head doesn’t know enough to come in out of the rain.
1980		A. Pearl Dict. Popular Sl.
2003		‘roxyrama’ Album Zone 🌐 We don’t need some numbhead who knows damn all about musical history telling us what to play, or say.

numbheaded (adj.)

(US) stupid.

c.1850

F.M. Whitcher Widow Bedott Papers (1863) 97–8: The old coot was so awful numbheaded I couldn’t beat anythin’ into him.

numbheadedness (n.)

(US) stupidity.

1965

G. Schmitt Electra 293: One of those spells of numbheadedness which came upon him often of late.

numbnut (adj.) [numbnuts ]

(Aus.) foolish, stupid.

1993		M.B. ‘Chopper’ Read How to Shoot Friends 120: I gave Anita a pile of mail written to me by Renée to support my numbnut idea that she was a friend.
2005		M.B. ‘Chopper’ Read Chopper 4 43: He actually won the fight, punching ten shades of shit of the numbnut dago.

numbnuts (n.) [nuts n.² (1)]

1. (US) an idiot, a fool; usu. as a term of address.

1969		in Current Sl. IV:3-4 (1970).
1974		M. Cherry On High Steel 92: Change the subject, numbnuts.
1977		(con. 1961) P. Caputo Rumor of War 8: We were shouted at, kicked, humiliated and harassed constantly. We were no longer known by our names, but called ‘shitbird,’ ‘scumbag,’ or ‘numbnuts’ by the DIs.
1982		G.V. Higgins Patriot Game (1985) 199: Yeah, numb-nuts?
1990		(con. c.1970) G. Hasford Phantom Blooper 18: What is your major malfunction, numbnuts? How long will it take me to forget your name?
2004		C. Hiaasen Skinny Dip 195: Stranahan waved. ‘Over here, numbnuts!’.
2011		J.J. DeCeglie Drawing Dead [ebook] Watch it numb nuts . . . you almost took my fucking head off.
2017		T. Spicer Good Girl Stripped Bare 75: ‘The audience? Full of numbnuts. They’re the ones who reckon blondes are dummies’.
2019		N. Walker Cherry 153: ‘Numbnuts over there green-lighted an airstrike on Hueso’s squad. Almost got them all killed’.
2020		(con. 1991-94) W. Boyle City of Margins 198: Donnie’s not scared of Big Time Tommy and his numbnuts crew.

2. in attrib. use of sense 1.

2001

C. Stella Eddie’s World 201: You and that numb-nuts cousin of yours.

numbwit (adj.) [var. on dimwit ]

foolish, stupid.

1956

H.S. Thompson letter 12 Dec. in Proud Highway (1997) 34: I was thrown out of the club for calling the night manager a crude, numbwit ass.