麻木

• Pinyin: má mù
• Hanzi breakdown: 麻 = 广 (shelter) + 林 (plants) — hemp/numbness; 木 = pictograph of a tree — stiff, wooden

Meaning

Numb; lacking sensation or feeling. Used both literally (physical numbness) and figuratively (emotional apathy or insensitivity).

Can describe physical numbness from cold or poor circulation, or emotional numbness from prolonged hardship, trauma, or overstimulation. Often used to criticise social indifference or desensitisation.

Examples

1. 长时间坐在电脑前，他的手臂开始酸胀，双手也逐渐变得麻木，不得不起身活动一下。 After sitting at the computer for a long time, his arms started aching and swelling, and his hands gradually went numb, so he had to get up and move around.
2. 连续几年目睹身边的不公正现象，他的内心渐渐变得麻木，不再感到愤怒或悲伤。 After witnessing injustice around him for years, he gradually became numb inside and no longer felt anger or sadness.
3. 医生告知她下肢可能永久麻木，她沉默良久，才缓缓点头接受了这个现实。 The doctor told her her lower limbs might be permanently numb; she stayed silent for a long time before slowly nodding and accepting the reality.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, psychology, social commentary

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 长期高强度工作会让人的神经系统逐渐麻木，对外界刺激的反应能力明显下降。(Prolonged high-intensity work can gradually numb the nervous system, noticeably reducing one's responsiveness to external stimuli.)
• 他已经对那些重复的批评麻木了，再也不会因为别人的否定而失眠。(He has become numb to those repeated criticisms and no longer loses sleep over others' rejection.)

Don't Say

• 用麻木代替疲惫 — 麻木 implies a loss of feeling or sensitivity, whereas 疲惫 means exhausted or tired; do not conflate them

Origin & History

麻 (hemp; numbing sensation) + 木 (wood; stiff/rigid) — combined sense: numb and stiff like wood

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal