📖 Meaning
Literally refers to limbs becoming numb and losing sensation, unable to feel pain or touch. Figuratively, it describes someone who is indifferent, unresponsive, or apathetic toward external events and the feelings of others. It conveys a lack of empathy or emotional engagement.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Ming Dynasty physician Xue Ji's medical text 'Yi An Zong Lun' (Medical Case Studies, General Discussion), where he describes the progression of a disease affecting the skin and flesh: on the first day the skin dies and becomes numb without sensation, on the second day the flesh dies and no longer feels the pain of needles. Originally a clinical description of loss of sensation due to illness, the phrase was later extended metaphorically to describe emotional or moral numbness.
💡 Example Usage
面对弱者的求助，他竟麻木不仁地转身离去。
Faced with the pleas of the weak, he turned and walked away, completely indifferent.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 麻木不仁
- Pinyin: má mù bù rén
- Literal Translation: numb, not, feeling
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4