speechless

adjectiveattested in dialogue

United States//ˈspiːt͡ʃ.lɪs//

Not speaking; not knowing what to say; silent, especially due to surprise, amazement, etc.; wordless.

adjective

1
Not speaking; not knowing what to say; silent, especially due to surprise, amazement, etc.; wordless.
When he walked into his surprise birthday party, he was completely speechless.
The attack was so unwarranted and delivered with such venom that his unpreparedness for it left him speechless.
2
archaicSynonym of unspeakable.
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.
O Mother Earth, O Sun that makest clean, What poison have I heard, what speechless sin !

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”).

speculate · To make an inference based on inconclusive evidence; to…speculation · The process or act of thinking or meditating on a subject.speech · The ability to speak; the faculty of uttering words or…

speechless · Not speaking; not knowing what to say; silent, especially due to surprise, amazement, etc.; wordless.

speed · The state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion.Speed · A surname transferred from the nickname.speeding · Travelling very fast; moving at speed.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.