wordless
Conveying through gesture
Wordless means without words or speech.
A wordless glance communicates silently.
A wordless song has no lyrics, only melody.
Someone rendered wordless is struck speechless: The news left her wordless.
The term often emphasizes that meaning passes without verbal expression—wordless grief, wordless understanding.
Communicative body movement
- mimeWordless expressive performer
- pantomimeDrama through gesture alone
- signMark conveying information
- nodBrief head tilt
shrug · wink · smile · frown · glance · stare · gaze · grimace
Having no voice
- nonverbalNot using speech
- aphasiaNeurological language impairment
- mutismAbsence of speech
- tongue-tiedUnable to express oneself
inarticulate · speechless · silenced · gagged · censored · stifled · suppressed
Understood without words
- implicitUnderstood without being stated
- impliedSuggested without stating
- unsaidNot expressed verbally
- unexpressedNot communicated outwardly
unvoiced · unarticulated · understood · assumed · inferred · hinted · subtext · undercurrent
Unable to talk
- soundlessProducing no audible noise
- noiselessProducing no sound
- hushedReduced to silence
- stillUnmoving, or continuing
quiet · inaudible · mute · voiceless · tranquil · serene · peaceful · calm
Restrained in manner
- reticentDisinclined to speak freely
- taciturnHabitually uncommunicative
- uncommunicativeUnwilling to share thoughts
- tight-lippedUnwilling to divulge
close-mouthed · secretive · guarded · private · introverted · shy · quiet · aloof
Showing feelings outwardly
- evocativeTending to summon memories
- poignantEvoking keen emotion
- meaningfulHaving purpose or significance
- powerfulHaving great strength
emotive · resonant · telling · revealing · suggestive · communicative · pregnant · loaded
gesture
Communicative body movement
nod · shrug · wink · smile · frown · glance · stare · gaze · grimace · wave
voiceless
Having no voice
tongue-tied · inarticulate · speechless · silenced · gagged · censored · stifled · suppressed
tacit
Understood without words
unexpressed · unvoiced · unarticulated · understood · assumed · inferred · hinted · subtext · undercurrent · innuendo
speechless
Unable to talk
still · quiet · inaudible · mute · voiceless · tranquil · serene · peaceful · calm · undisturbed
reserved
Restrained in manner
- reticentDisinclined to speak freely
- taciturnHabitually uncommunicative
- uncommunicativeUnwilling to share thoughts
tight-lipped · close-mouthed · secretive · guarded · private · introverted · shy · quiet · aloof · distant
expressive
Showing feelings outwardly
- evocativeTending to summon memories
- poignantEvoking keen emotion
- meaningfulHaving purpose or significance
powerful · emotive · resonant · telling · revealing · suggestive · communicative · pregnant · loaded · significant
- silencequiet, silent, mute, hush, stillness
- speechlessspeechless, mute, tongue-tied, dumbstruck, silent
- unspokensilent, tacit, unsaid, unstated, mute
- unexpressedunspoken, unstated, unuttered, suppressed, implicit
- speech problemsstuttering, stammering, slurring, mumbling, disfluency
- astonishmentamazement, awe, wonder, wonderstruck, awestruck
wordlessspoken
Expressed in words aloud
verbal · worded · voiced · expressed · articulated
wordlesstalkative
Inclined to speak much
loquacious · voluble · garrulous · chatty · vocal
wordlessexplicit
Clearly and directly expressed
expressed · stated · articulated · verbalized · unequivocal