speechless
Americanadjective
-
temporarily deprived of speech by strong emotion, physical weakness, exhaustion, etc..
speechless with alarm.
- Synonyms:
- mute
- Antonyms:
- talkative, voluble, loquacious
-
characterized by absence or loss of speech.
speechless joy.
- Antonyms:
- talkative, voluble, loquacious
-
lacking the faculty of speech; dumb.
- Antonyms:
- talkative, voluble, loquacious
-
not expressed in speech or words.
speechless compliments.
-
refraining from speech.
adjective
-
not able to speak
-
temporarily deprived of speech
-
not expressed or able to be expressed in words
speechless fear
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of speechless
before 1000; Middle English specheles, Old English spǣclēas. See speech, -less
Explanation
If you’re speechless, you can’t talk, usually because something surprising and crazy happened. You might be rendered speechless if you win the lottery or find a whale on your front lawn. When you’re speechless, you’re at a loss for words. For example, people often say things like "I was speechless when I received the news about my brother!" or "The music left me speechless!" It’s an exaggeration. People use speechless in these cases to show how stunned or moved they were, even though they were probably still capable of speech. "I'm speechless" often really means "I'm shocked!"
Vocabulary lists containing speechless
Power Suffix: -less
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Shhhh! Synonyms for "Quiet"
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"Say It with Flowers" and "The Journey"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Speechless, the first person she called was her mother.
From New York Times • Jul. 12, 2022
Speechless, he dropped his head and struggled to get his words out, against a backdrop of rubble and destroyed properties.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2022
He and Lady Gaga also teamed up to cover "Your Song" alongside her "Poker Face" and "Speechless" at the 2010 Grammys.
From Salon • Mar. 26, 2022
As its only conventional ballad, Speechless sticks out like a sore thumb.
From The Guardian • Apr. 23, 2020
Speechless as they did their homework that night.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
