Dumb (Adjective)

Meaning ¹

Temporarily incapable of speaking; "struck dumb"; "speechless with shock".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The news of her sudden death left the whole family dumb with grief.
• He was dumb with fear as the burglar pointed the gun at his head.
• The stunning revelation left the crowd dumb, with some audience members gasping in shock.
• She was struck dumb by the beauty of the stunning sunset.
• The news of the earthquake was so devastating that she was left dumb, unable to speak a word.

Synonyms

• Speechless

Meaning ²

Slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; "so dense he never understands anything I say to him"; "never met anyone quite so dim"; "although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick"- Thackeray; "dumb officials make some really dumb decisions"; "he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse"; "worked with the slow students".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Synonyms

• Dim
• Obtuse
• Slow
• Dense
• Dull

Related Words

• Dumbness (noun)

Meaning ³

Unable to speak because of hereditary deafness.

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Synonyms

• Silent
• Mute

Meaning ⁴

Lacking the power of human speech; "dumb animals".

Classification

All adjective clusters.