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 Although there is torture and brutality, the story also frequently opts for softer, wordless images of actors playing the nameless people who did not survive. Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024 Scott Walker, the Beach Boys, and Burt Bacharach—there’s a lot of those wordless vocals and harmonies in all their songs. Thomas Hobbs, SPIN, 3 May 2024 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

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 10 May. 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
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