speechless
gb/spˈit͡ʃləs/ us/spˈit͡ʃləs/
B1
Angličtina
~ 8400
Významy
0 významů
adjective
B1
state
1
unable to speak from emotion
Not able to say anything for a short time because you feel a very strong emotion, like shock, anger, or joy.
Vzorec užití:
[someone] is / feels / is left speechless (with [emotion])
Častá chyba:
Learners sometimes use *speechless* when they only mean *quiet* or *silent* (for example, saying "Everyone was speechless in the library" just to mean that no one was talking). *Speechless* should be used when someone cannot speak because of a strong feeling, not just because they choose to be quiet. Another mistake is adding degree adverbs that sound odd, such as "very speechless"; it is more natural to say "completely speechless" or "absolutely speechless".
Synonyma
lost for words (Very close in meaning; emphasizes not knowing what to say rather than being physically unable to speak.)
|
tongue-tied (Often used when shyness or nervousness stops someone from speaking, not only shock or surprise.)
|
dumbstruck (Stronger and slightly more dramatic; usually used for shock or disbelief rather than happiness.)
Antonyma
articulate (Describes someone who is able to express ideas and feelings easily and clearly, the opposite of being unable to say anything.)
|
expressive (Stresses that someone can show feelings and thoughts clearly, including in words.)
Kolokace
absolutely speechless
|left speechless
|render [someone] speechless
|speechless with shock
|speechless with rage
|speechless with joy
Témata
emotions
|communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- When she saw the size of the crowd, she was completely speechless.
- I was speechless with anger when I heard how they had treated him.
- The view from the top of the mountain left us all speechless.
- He stood there, speechless with shock, unable to answer any of their questions.
- They were so speechless with joy that they just hugged each other and laughed.
Učební příklady
- I was speechless when I won the prize.
- He was speechless with anger after the meeting.
- The news was so bad that she sat there, speechless.
- The beautiful painting made me speechless for a moment.
- When he saw his old friend, he was speechless with surprise.
unknown
formal
B2
state
2
unable to speak physically
Not able to speak at all because of a health problem or because someone is very young.
Vzorec užití:
[someone] is speechless / a speechless [child/person]
Častá chyba:
Learners may confuse this physical sense with the emotional sense and say things like "He is speechless" about a long-term disability when the context is emotional, or misunderstand when a medical text uses *speechless* to mean physically unable to speak. Pay attention to whether the context is about health and long-term ability, or about a sudden emotion.
Synonyma
mute (Traditional and more common term; can sound outdated or insensitive in some contexts, so is used carefully in modern language.)
|
nonverbal (Technical or clinical term; focuses on not using spoken language rather than total physical inability to speak.)
Antonyma
speaking (Directly contrasts with being unable to speak, especially in medical or developmental contexts.)
Kolokace
born speechless
|left speechless by a stroke
|a speechless child
|physically speechless
Témata
health
|communication
|body
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- After the accident, he was left speechless and had to learn new ways to communicate.
- The doctor explained that the boy might remain speechless for the rest of his life.
- In the play, a speechless child observes the adults but never says a word.
- She works with speechless patients, helping them use assistive devices to communicate.
- A stroke can sometimes leave a person speechless, even though they understand everything being said.
Učební příklady
- The baby is still speechless, but she understands many words.
- Some people are speechless because of a serious illness.
- He became speechless after the stroke.
- The teacher uses pictures to talk with her speechless students.
- Doctors tried to help the speechless man communicate.
Gramatika
Slovníkový tvar
speechless
IPA
GB/spˈit͡ʃləs/
US/spˈit͡ʃləs/
Slabiky a přízvuk
speech - less (2 slabiky)
Stress on 1st syllable (speech)
Tvary slova
Adjective
- Base: speechless
Příbuzná slova
Výrazy
be left speechless
1/bˈi lˈɛft spˈit͡ʃləs/
fixed phrase
suddenly unable to speak
To suddenly not be able to say anything because you feel a very strong emotion, such as shock, fear, or happiness.
Příklady
- I was left speechless when they announced my name as the winner.
- The movie’s final scene left the whole audience speechless.
- She was left speechless by his rude comment.
speechless with joy
1/spˈit͡ʃləs wˈɪθ d͡ʒˈɔɪ/
fixed phrase
unable to speak from joy
So happy that you cannot speak.
Příklady
- When she saw her newborn baby, she was speechless with joy.
- They were speechless with joy after hearing they had been accepted.
- He was speechless with joy when she said yes.
speechless with rage
1/spˈit͡ʃləs wˈɪθ ɹˈeɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
unable to speak from anger
So angry that you cannot speak.
Příklady
- He was speechless with rage when he saw the damage to his car.
- She stood there, speechless with rage, unable to answer him.
- The unfair decision left the players speechless with rage.
speechless with shock
1/spˈit͡ʃləs wˈɪθ ʃˈɑk/
fixed phrase
unable to speak from shock
So shocked that you cannot speak.
Příklady
- We were speechless with shock when we heard the news.
- The sudden announcement left her speechless with shock.
- He stared at the letter, speechless with shock.
render someone speechless
1/ɹˈɛndɚ sˈʌmwˌʌn spˈit͡ʃləs/
fixed phrase
make someone unable to speak
To shock, surprise, or move someone so much that they cannot speak.
Příklady
- The news rendered him speechless for several minutes.
- The news of his sudden resignation rendered everyone in the room speechless.
- Her generosity rendered me speechless; I didn’t know how to thank her.
- Her kindness rendered me speechless; I did not know what to say.
- The scale of the disaster rendered many witnesses speechless.