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dumbness. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
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English
Etymology
From Middle English dombenesse, from Old English dumbnes; equivalent to dumb + -ness. Cognate with Old Frisian dumbnisse (“folly, dumbness”).
Noun
dumbness (usually uncountable, plural dumbnesses)
- (dated) The state of being mute: that is, of not communicating vocally, whether from selective mutism (refusal to speak) or from an inability to speak.
- (dated) Muteness, silence; abstention from speech.
c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :There was speech in their dumbness.
- (dated) Show or gesture without words; pantomime; dumb-show.
c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :To the dumbness of the gesture one might interpret.
- (informal) The quality of being stupid or foolish.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
the quality of being stupid