See Also: speechless(dictionary)
speechless(dictionary)

speechless (iou)



speechless adjective. OE.
[from SPEECH noun + -LESS.]
Lacking the faculty of speech; naturally or permanently mute or dumb. OE.
Longfellow Like a ghost that is speechless.
a. Unable to speak on account of illness, injury, or exhaustion. ME.
b. Temporarily deprived of the power of speech through strong emotion etc. (freq. foll. by with); amazed, astonished; very angry, outraged. LME.
Observer This proposal leaves me speechless. E. Segal I'm absolutely speechless You mean that creep is gonna get away scot-free? W. Horwood Spindle seemed struck speechless with fright.
c. Deprived of speech through excessive drinking; colloq. dead drunk. L19.
Refraining from speech, keeping silence. Also, reticent, taciturn. LME.
L. Gordon They could sit speechless, well knowing that it was..drizzling and their guests..bored.
a. Not uttered or expressed in speech. L16-E17.
b. Incapable of expression in or by speech. poet. E19.
(Of a state or condition) characterized by loss or absence of speech; unaccompanied or undisturbed by speech; (of an emotion etc.) tending to deprive one temporarily of speech. L16.
Shelley She is as pure as speechless infancy! E. Lyall A stony speechless sorrow.
speechlessly adverb M19.
speechlessness noun L16.