Meanings
comparative more mind-numbing · superlative most mind-numbing · alternative mindnumbing
- idiomaticExcessively boring, tedious, or dull; repetitive; of an activity, etc., lacking any interest or variety that might serve as intellectual stimulation.
The story described the main character's wristwatch in mind-numbing detail.
1 more example
After hours of mind-numbing work sorting hundreds of nearly identical form, he needed to stop and do something else.
Synonyms: brain-numbing
- Causing numbness in the mind.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveExcessively boring, tedious, or dull; repetitive; of an activity, etc., lacking any interest or variety that might serve as intellectual stimulation.
Origin
From mind + numbing. Compare Old English ġemynd-benimming (“lethargy”, noun, literally “numbing of the mind, mind-numbing”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 讓人心煩意亂的 /让人心烦意乱的
- 讓人心煩意亂的 /让人心烦意乱的 (ràng rén xīnfányìluàn de)excessively boring
Dutch geestdodend
- geestdodendexcessively boring
Finnish turruttava
- turruttavaexcessively boring
French abrutissant
- abrutissantexcessively boring
German stumpfsinnig
- stumpfsinnigexcessively boring
Polish arcynudny
- arcynudnyexcessively boring
Russian отупля́ющий
- отупля́ющий (otupljájuščij)excessively boring
Spanish demasiadamente aburrido / aburridor
- demasiadamente aburrido / aburridorexcessively boring
Swedish förslöande
- förslöandeexcessively boring
Cite this entry
mind-numbing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mind-numbing
“mind-numbing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mind-numbing. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mind-numbing,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mind-numbing.
Source: mind-numbing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.