wordless

adjective

word·​less ˈwərd-ləs 

1

: not expressed in or accompanied by words

a wordless picture book

2

: silent, speechless

sat wordless throughout the meeting

wordlessly adverb

wordlessness noun

Synonyms

• dumb
• mum
• mute
• muted
• silent
• speechless
• uncommunicative

Examples of wordless in a Sentence

he stood wordless before his accusers

a wordless fondness for each other

Recent Examples on the Web

What fun this wordless picture book will be for the little ones. —Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025

The wordless moment between them when Ellie returns home only confirms this. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2025

There’ll probably be some cowbells, and there might be someone trilling in sultry Portuguese or a burst of wordless, stoic alpha-male grunts. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Mar. 2025

The seventh episode of The White Lotus’ third season opens with a wordless montage of images from a Muay Thai match. —Judy Berman, Time, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

wordless

adjective

word·​less ˈwərd-ləs 

1

: not expressed in or having words

a wordless picture book

2

: silent sense 1, speechless

sat wordless throughout the meeting

wordlessly adverb

wordlessness noun