Meaning & use
speechless
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Temporarily unable to speak because of a strong emotion such as shock, surprise, or admiration.
Grammar: Not used with 'more' or 'most'; you cannot say 'more speechless'. Often followed by 'with' or 'by'.
Patterns
- speechless with emotion
- speechless at something
- leave someone speechless
She was speechless with joy when she saw the surprise party.
The breathtaking view left us completely speechless.
He was speechless for a moment after hearing the shocking news.
Common combinations
- speechless with anger
- He was speechless with anger after the unfair decision.
- speechless with shock
- She was speechless with shock when she won the award.
- leave someone speechless
- The magician's final trick left the audience speechless.
- completely speechless
- I was completely speechless when I saw the bill.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dumbfounded
- Dumbfounded means so surprised that you cannot speak, but it is stronger and more formal than speechless.
- astonished
- Astonished means very surprised, but you can still speak; speechless means you cannot speak.
- mute
- Mute means permanently unable to speak, while speechless is temporary and emotional.
Opposites
Word family
- speech noun
- The act of speaking or a formal talk.
- speechlessly adverb
- In a manner that shows you cannot speak.
- speechlessness noun
- The state of being unable to speak.
Commonly confused: speechless or mute?
speechless vs mute
Mute means permanently unable to speak, often due to a physical condition. Speechless is temporary and caused by emotion.
Practice
Fill in the blank: The audience was ______ after the stunning performance.
Choose one answer.
The adjective 'speechless' describes the audience's state. 'Speechlessly' is an adverb, 'speechlessness' is a noun, and 'speech' is a noun, so none fit after 'was'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “speechless”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.