struck dumb
Shocked into silence
Struck dumb means rendered speechless, usually by shock, surprise, or awe.
The phrase suggests sudden inability to speak, as if the power of speech has been physically removed: I was struck dumb when I heard the news.
Dumb here preserves its older meaning of mute rather than stupid.
- awestruckOvercome by profound wonder
- speechlessUnable to talk
- dumbfoundedRendered speechless by surprise
- at a loss for wordsUnable to articulate
- thunderstruckExtremely shocked or amazed
amazement · astonished · taken aback · silenced · mute · voiceless · blown away · stupefied · stunned · in shock · astounding · slack-jawed · bewildered · wordless · transfixed · rooted to the spot · gobsmacked · surprising
struck dumbtalkative
Inclined to speak much
loquacious · garrulous · voluble · chatty · verbose
struck dumbunfazed
Not disturbed or disconcerted
unflappable · composed · cool as a cucumber · unruffled · self-possessed
struck, dumb, strike, strikes, striking, stricken, striker, strikers, dumber