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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, now offensive) 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 (date written), 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.
Usage notes
- The words ‘dumb’ and ‘dumbness’ to describe a person who lacks the ability to speak are now usually considered offensive, because it can also mean ‘stupid’, especially in American English. Many people now prefer the term ‘speech impaired’ or ‘speech impairment’.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
the quality of being stupid