speechless
/ˈspiːtʃləs
/adjective
Unable to speak, especially as the temporary result of shock or strong emotion: he was speechless with rage...
- Justin was speechless with surprise, but I think I was more surprised than he.
- I was just about speechless with fury, and indignation on Sam's part.
- She nodded, speechless with happiness for the first time in ages.
Synonyms
lost for words, at a loss for words, struck dumb, dumbstruck, bereft of speech, tongue-tied, unable to get a word out, inarticulate;
mute, dumb, voiceless;
dumbfounded, thunderstruck, shocked, shell-shocked, astounded, aghast, amazed, dazed
informal flabbergasted, mum, knocked/hit for six
British informal gobsmacked
rare dumbstricken, mumchance, obmutescent
silent, unspoken, unexpressed, wordless, unsaid, unvoiced
Derivatives
speechlessly
/ adverb ...- Alice just stared speechlessly in the dark with her hand still covering her silent scream.
- They just stood there and stared speechlessly.
- I nodded speechlessly and followed Nathan out the door.
speechlessness
/ noun ...- He just stood there, shocked to speechlessness.
- A mixture of confusion and speechlessness crossed his face in a matter of seconds.
- Jeremy starts talking to one of his friends and I am once again baffled into speechlessness.
Origin
Old English spǣclēas (see speech, -less).