adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
US:/ˈspiːt͡ʃ.lɪs/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S P IY1 CH L AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Not speaking; not knowing what to say; silent, especially due to surprise, amazement, etc.; wordless.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
When he walked into his surprise birthday party, he was completely speechless.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Synonym of unspeakable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unspeakable
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
temporarily incapable of speaking
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
struck dumb
speechless with shock
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dumb
Antonyms: none provided
History
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”).
Across languages
Translations
59 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
spraakloos
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Afrikaans:
sprakeloos
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Bulgarian:
занемял
(zanemjal)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Bulgarian:
безмълвен
(bezmǎlven)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Catalan:
bocabadat
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Catalan:
emmudit
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Chinese Mandarin:
無言 /无言
(wúyán)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Chinese Mandarin:
無語 /无语
(wúyǔ)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Chinese Mandarin:
沈默
(chénmò)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Chinese Mandarin:
沉默
(chénmò)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Danish:
mundlam
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Danish:
målløs
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Dutch:
sprakeloos
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Esperanto:
senparola
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Finnish:
sanaton
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
French:
sans voix
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
German:
sprachlos
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
German:
fassungslos
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
German:
stumm
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Gothic:
𐌳𐌿𐌼𐌱𐍃
(dumbs)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Greek:
άναυδος
(ánavdos)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Greek:
άφωνος
(áfonos)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Greek:
ενεός
(eneós)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Hindi:
निःशब्द
(niḥśabd)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Hungarian:
szótlan
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Hungarian:
eláll(t) a szava
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Hungarian:
meg se tud mukkanni
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Icelandic:
orðlaus
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Indonesian:
kelu
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Indonesian:
kaku lidah
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Italian:
senza parole
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Italian:
ammutolito
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Latin:
ēlinguis
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Norwegian Bokmål:
målløs
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Norwegian Bokmål:
mållaus
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Norwegian Nynorsk:
mållaus
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Polish:
oniemiały
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Polish:
milczący
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Portuguese:
sem palavras
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Portuguese:
atónito
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Portuguese:
atônito
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Portuguese:
perplexo
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Portuguese:
estarrecido
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Russian:
онеме́лый
(onemélyj)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Russian:
онеме́вший
(onemévšij)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Russian:
безмо́лвный
(bezmólvnyj)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Sanskrit:
मूक
(mūka)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Spanish:
sin palabras
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Spanish:
sin habla
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Spanish:
atónito
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Spanish:
mudo
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Spanish:
corchado
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Spanish:
enmudecido
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Spanish:
sin saber qué decir
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Swedish:
mållös
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Telugu:
నోరులేని
(nōrulēni)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Thai:
หมดคําพูด
(mòt-kam-pûut)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Thai:
พูดไม่ออก
(pûut-mâi-ɔ̀ɔk)
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
Vietnamese:
không biết nói gì
— not speaking; not knowing what to say
