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Glite Dictionary
feeling dead inside

feeling dead inside

1 9.9
Being numb and empty inside after loss or long sadness
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : sentirse vacío por dentro
  • He expressed that he felt dead inside after losing his job and struggling to find purpose.

Examples

  • Also because of this, not only did I become a great liar and seemingly constantly upbeat, but I also started to feel dead inside.

    Blog text (32)

  • Are you feeling dead inside or something?

    The Enchanted (1984)

  • Well, except for the local Libertarians who are feeling dead inside now that Scores is gone.

    Blog text (3)

  • After months of feeling sad and alone, she started to feel dead inside and unable to connect with anyone.

  • Sometimes I wake up and feel dead inside, as if emotions have deserted me completely.

Synonyms

to feel empty inside
vsfeeling dead inside
1 7.5

To have a deep sadness and no meaning inside you

is a state of emotional numbness with little internal response after trauma

Antonyms

aliveness
2 4.5

A feeling of energy and strong interest in the world

fulfilled
3.2

Feeling happy and satisfied because goals or needs are met

How Numb

feeling dead inside
  • Informal
1 9.9
numb
62 4.1
empty
351 3.7
unmoved
8 5.1

Surface Forms

dead inside main

Morphology

feeling + dead + inside

The meaning is partly derivable from the parts—'feeling' + 'dead' + 'inside' signals an internal lack of feeling—so a learner can get the general idea. However, it depends on a metaphorical extension of 'dead' (not literal death) and conveys a nuanced emotional numbness that may not be fully predictable without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Feeling dead inside paints a clear picture: someone can look alive on the outside but their feelings are dead inside, as if nothing moves there. So it means 'emotional numbness' or feeling 'empty'.