麻木不仁

mámù-bùrén
idiom #29,003

Meanings

  1. 1 numb and unfeeling
  2. 2 apathetic
  3. 3 insensitive
  4. 4 thick-skinned

Examples

HSK 6
Chángqī de pínkùn ràng tā biàn de mámù-bùrén.
Years of poverty left him numb and apathetic.
HSK 7-9
Tā duì biérén de tòngkǔ mámù-bùrén, lìngrén hánxīn.
His insensitivity to others' suffering is chilling.

Tips

memory
麻木 (numb / paralysed) + 不仁 (without benevolence / feeling). Originally a medical metaphor: can mean the sensitivity of flesh. Someone 麻木不仁 has lost the ability to feel - physically or emotionally.

Stroke Order

rén