voiceless

[ vois-lis ]

/ ˈvɔɪs lɪs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR voiceless ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having no voice; mute.

uttering no words; silent.

having an unmusical voice.

unspoken; unuttered: voiceless sympathy.

having no vote or right of choice.

Phonetics. (of a speech sound)

without voice; unvoiced; surd; aphonic (contrasted with voiced): “p,” “f,” and “s” are voiceless.
uttered without phonation.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby voiceless

voice-lift, voice-over, voice-stress analyzer, voiced, voiceful, voiceless, voiceprint, void, voidable, voidance, voided

Origin of voiceless

First recorded in 1525–35; voice + -less

OTHER WORDS FROM voiceless

voice·less·ly, adverbvoice·less·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for voiceless

He wanted to give a voice to the voiceless, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.
Obama Administration and Sotloff Family Battle Over Blame for Journalist’s Kidnapping|Josh Rogin|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And overwhelmingly, the communities who suffer the most are those who are the most vulnerable and voiceless.
A Challenge to New Media Moguls Pierre Omidyar and Jeff Bezos|Alexander Busansky|November 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Human-rights movements have traditionally existed to help the voiceless and those without agency gain progressively more rights.
Kirsten Powers: I Don’t Stand With Wendy Davis|Kirsten Powers|July 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Is giving voice to the voiceless worth less than other work?
Hurricane Sandy Anniversary a Reminder of the Power of Volunteers|Jill W. Iscol|April 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST

I think of the small number of brave whistleblowers who stood up for innocent, voiceless victims.
My Lai 45 Years Later—And the Unknown Atrocities of Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan|Nick Turse|March 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Lifeless eyes and voiceless lips now, had cheered these flags with the same joy that once greeted the eagles of Napoleon.
The Broken Sword|Dennison Worthington
When the confusion had subsided sufficiently, the men surveyed the wreck with voiceless disgust, until Holy spoke sarcastically.
The Long Dim Trail|Forrestine C. Hooker
Voiceless now, Nuwell grasped Placer's arm and pointed, trembling, back down the corridor.
Rebels of the Red Planet|Charles Louis Fontenay
Not only is the world blotted out in the enveloping darkness, but it is voiceless, and there prevails absolute silence.
In the Open|Stanton Davis Kirkham
We know there must come a day when you will leave the nest, leave us voiceless, ridiculous, flitting among bare branches.
Tommy and Co.|Jerome K. Jerome

British Dictionary definitions for voiceless

voiceless

/ (ˈvɔɪslɪs) /

adjective

without a voice; mute

not articulatedvoiceless misery

lacking a musical voice

silent

without the power or right to express an opinion

phonetics articulated without accompanying vibration of the vocal cordsin English (p) is a voiceless consonant

Derived forms of voiceless

voicelessly, adverbvoicelessness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

voiceless

adjective

QUIZZES

Words related to voiceless

Words nearby voiceless

Origin of voiceless

OTHER WORDS FROM voiceless

Example sentences from the Web for voiceless

British Dictionary definitions for voiceless

adjective

Derived forms of voiceless