Speechless
/ˈspiːt͡ʃ.lɪs/ adj
adj ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Not speaking; not knowing what to say; silent, especially due to surprise, amazement, etc.; wordless. not-comparable
"When he walked into his surprise birthday party, he was completely speechless."
- 2 Synonym of unspeakable. archaic, not-comparable
"Immortal Pleaſures round my ſwimming Eyes did dance, And ſpeechleſs Joys, in whoſe ſweet Tumult toſt, I thought my Breath, and my new Being loſt."
Adjective
- 1 temporarily incapable of speaking wordnet
Example
More examples"I'm appalled. You leave me speechless."
Etymology
From Middle English specheles, from Old English sprǣċlēas (“speechless; without the power of speak”), from Proto-Germanic *sprēkalausaz, equivalent to speech + -less. Cognate with West Frisian sprakeleas (“speechless”), Dutch sprakeloos (“speechless”), German Low German spraaklos (“speechless”), German sprachlos (“speechless”).