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
Examples of wordless in a Sentence
he stood wordless before his accusers
a wordless fondness for each other
Recent Examples on the Web
The orchestra delivered it with almost apocalyptic intensity, as if mounting a wordless protest.
—
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
Better still, in one marvelous, wordless interlude, an ape tells a joke to a cavern full of other apes.
—Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
The ferocious power of its wordless lament radiated on some low, invisible frequency through the museum walls.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
Primarily a theater actress, Davis made her screen debut with a small, wordless role in the 1996 film Substance of Fire and continued in bit parts for years before her own breakthrough in 2008’s Doubt.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
Sprouse, as the wordless, devoted Creature, delivers a physical performance that is surprisingly moving and romantic.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2024
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
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
Better still, in one marvelous, wordless interlude, an ape tells a joke to a cavern full of other apes.
—Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
The ferocious power of its wordless lament radiated on some low, invisible frequency through the museum walls.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
Primarily a theater actress, Davis made her screen debut with a small, wordless role in the 1996 film Substance of Fire and continued in bit parts for years before her own breakthrough in 2008’s Doubt.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
Sprouse, as the wordless, devoted Creature, delivers a physical performance that is surprisingly moving and romantic.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2024
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
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
Articles Related to wordless
Dictionary Entries Near wordless
Cite this Entry
“Wordless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wordless. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
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
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