wordless

adjective

word·​less ˈwərd-ləs How to pronounce wordless (audio)
1
: not expressed in or accompanied by words
a wordless picture book
2
: silent, speechless
sat wordless throughout the meeting
wordlessly adverb
wordlessness noun

Examples of wordless in a Sentence

he stood wordless before his accusers a wordless fondness for each other
Recent Examples on the Web Leading up to the gigs, however, Lennon began sharing demos with Zorn — wordless musings about his life, the state of the world, and his aging mother, Yoko Ono. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2024 While the wordless chorus was left out, eight percussionists (plus timpanist) were there for the grand conclusion. Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 Another nearly wordless performance, Dever carries us through terrifying nights and days on the strength of her body language alone. Randee Dawn, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2024 The opening scene is a nearly wordless 30-minute sequence of Eugénie cooking up an extraordinary feast: the clearest of consommés, turbot cooked in four liters of milk, a magnificent vol-au-vent. Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 The sight of the mother’s withered, wordless body, her withdrawal from the field of action, is so unacceptable that someone must be to blame for it, and he has been trained to blame anyone and anything other than himself. Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 10 Sep. 2023 When the middle finger’s popularity grew once more, it became known as a wordless version of the goose-like honks and hisses of displeasure preferred by Brits and other Europeans. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2024 And in their wordless balance of joy and grief, hope and despair, the paintings quietly echo Mozart’s ease and economy of expression. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2024 Swift, an expert at making the most of wordless TV cutaways, telegraphed her displeasure with a single swig of her drink. Alison Herman, Variety, 8 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wordless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wordless was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near wordless

Cite this Entry

“Wordless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wordless. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wordless

adjective
word·​less ˈwərd-ləs How to pronounce wordless (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on wordless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!