as in silence
incapacity for or restraint from speaking
the speechlessness of our cat never seemed so frustrating as the time that it was seriously sick
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of speechlessness
Both men regularly bash Trump during their monologues, but the president’s tirade against the Pope left them puzzled to the point of near-speechlessness.
—
Zack Sharf, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Both brothers were intellectually precocious, but Scott could be shy to the point of speechlessness.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Zack Sharf, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Both brothers were intellectually precocious, but Scott could be shy to the point of speechlessness.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speechlessness
silence
Noun
-
To the neighbors bordering the Butler Memorial Airport, the fall and crash of the tiny aircraft and the death of 12 people on Sunday all seemed to have happened in silence.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
-
The mayor’s credit card use was not wrapped in a veil of silence.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speechlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speechlessness. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
