voiceless

[vois-lis]

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

Origin of voiceless

First recorded in 1525–35; voice + -less

Related formsvoice·less·ly, adverbvoice·less·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for voiceless

surd, dumb, inarticulate, mute, speechless, wordless, mum, silent, aphonic

Examples from the Web for voiceless

Contemporary Examples of voiceless

They were gathered there, Black said, to be a "voice for the voiceless."
Capitol Hill's Black Staffers Walk Out to Say ‘Hands Up, Don't Shoot!’
Tim Mak
December 11, 2014
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples of voiceless

The suddenness of it all held Mary voiceless for long seconds.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
I was alone in this voiceless temple of so many wonderful sounds.
The First Violin
Jessie Fothergill
He again gave his boy that sidelong look and laughed his voiceless laugh.
The Downfall
Emile Zola
Razumov ran forward unsteadily, with parted, voiceless lips.
Under Western Eyes
Joseph Conrad
She was the tender and voiceless siren of this appalling navigator.
Falk
Joseph Conrad

British Dictionary definitions for voiceless

voiceless

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 Formsvoicelessly, 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

Word Origin and History for voiceless

adj.

1530s, "unable to speak," from voice (n.) + -less. Meaning "having no say in affairs" is from 1630s; that of "unspoken, unuttered" is from 1816. In phonology, "unvoiced," from 1867. Related: Voicelessly; voicelessness.