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
- speechlessly adverb
- speechlessness noun
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.
Hill says she was "speechless for a good 10 minutes" after finding out that she had been chosen to receive the money.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
"It's the Gold Cup. They just get better and better. I am speechless," said Townend after his fifth Gold Cup triumph.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
“To be honest I’m speechless after that fight,” said the two-time Dubai champion, who needed six match points to close out the win.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
But it was the Digne non-penalty decision that really left most speechless.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
When he delivers the good news, Uncle Al is rendered speechless.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
