dumbness
nounEtymology From Middle English dombenesse, from Old English dumbnes; equivalent to dumb + -ness. Cognate with Old Frisian dumbnisse (“folly, dumbness”).
1
Dated, Offensive, Usually The state of being mute: that is, of not communicating vocally, whether from selective mutism (refusal to speak) or from an inability to speak.
- He was a deaf-mute. His dumbness did not seem to matter when we were boys.1944, Emily Carr, “Sissy's Job”, in The House of All Sorts:
2
Dated, Usually Muteness, silence; abstention from speech.
- There was speech in their dumbness.c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
3
Dated, Usually Show or gesture without words; pantomime; dumb-show.
- To the dumbness of the gesture one might interpret.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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
4
Informal, Usually The quality of being stupid or foolish.
- Synonyms
- dumbhood
- Derived terms
- artificial dumbness
- Related terms
- dumb, dumb-show