I. ˈdəm adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German tumb mute, inexperienced, stupid, Old Norse dumbr mute, Gothic dumbs mute, Old English dēaf deaf — more at deaf
1. : destitute of the power of speech
he must have been dumb , for never a word did he utter — Herman Melville
2.
a. : by nature incapable of speech like that of human beings
dumb animals
b. of an animal : having no capacity to make sounds : mute
c. : having no voice — used of inanimate things
the great dumb trees — Anton Vogt
3. : temporarily unable to speak (as from astonishment, grief, shock)
one pictures newspaper reporters going about, struck dumb with amazement at every smallest incident in this amazing life we lead — Rose Macaulay
4.
a. : not expressed in uttered words : not communicated verbally — used of feelings, emotions, ideas
how terrible is that dumb grief which has never learned to moan — John Galsworthy
let the world wail! … my sorrow shall be dumb ! — Edna S. V. Millay
b. : incapable of being expressed or communicated verbally
the expression of loss and loneliness and dumb desire on his face — Irwin Shaw
5. : silent , quite : as
a. : saying little or nothing usually through lack of desire to speak : taciturn , uncommunicative
if they had nothing to say, they were capable of sitting for hours, dumb and unabashed, over their pipes or their plugs of tobacco — Ellen Glasgow
I beg that you remain dumb , that you write no more poems — Amy Lowell
b. : not having the usual accompaniment of speech or sound
with frantic dumb play Anton signaled to Vincent — Basil Thomson
legend and tradition demand that bells be dumb until they are blessed — P.D.Peery
6. : having little or no meaning : inexpressive
his work is infantile, dumb with botched detail, wooden scenes, and collapsed characterizations — J.S.Shrike
7. : lacking some usual attribute or concomitant ; especially of a boat : having no means of self-propulsion
dumb barge
dumb lighter
8.
[influenced in meaning by Dutch dom stupid, German & Pennsylvania German dumm ]
: stupid , foolish
a. of a person : lacking perception or understanding : unresponsive
too dumb to do things in the right way — W.J.Reilly
blind to Galileo on his turret, dumb to Homer, dumb to Keats — Robert Browning
b. of an action or thing : resulting from or characterized by stupidity
must learn to disregard the dumb advice … of relatives and friends — R.V.Seliger
bad weather, youthful recklessness, carelessness, and plain dumb flying — Time
Synonyms:
mute , speechless , inarticulate : dumb and mute are often interchangeable, but some differences may be noted. In reference to animals, mute implies an inability to make sounds, dumb an incapacity for speech
must I live all my life as mute as a mackerel? — L.P.Smith
yon dumb patient camel — Robert Browning
In reference to persons, dumb may imply some physical defect, mute an insensibility to speech brought about through deafness
the other was a wretch from infancy made dumb by poison — P.B.Shelley
like the mute dwarfs which wait upon a naked Indian queen — Robert Browning
In reference to persons normally able to speak, dumb may suggest a quite short deprivation of ability to utter sounds
I was bewildered and dumb until Livilla gave me a good pinching, at which I burst into tears — Robert Graves
he made despairing gestures with his hands, but still no words came from his mouth. He might have been struck dumb — W.S.Maugham
mute may be used when an inner compulsion to stay silent is suggested
but every man was mute for reverence — Alfred Tennyson
as the conversation took fire, she hadn't so much as a chip to throw in. She sat mute — Sinclair Lewis
speechless , although it often has the same suggestions of dumb or mute , commonly indicates momentary loss of power to speak
overcome with speechless gratitude — William Wordsworth
I can remember, across the years, standing there with that paper in my hand; dumb, speechless and probably tearful — W.A.White
inarticulate implies either lack of satisfactory speech functions or an inability to speak coherently, clearly, or purposefully
his jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds — Mary W. Shelley
but when Richard, inarticulate at first, in his haste, cried out: “My dear, dear father!” — George Meredith
his rage was a madness. His lips were flecked with a soapy froth, and sometimes he choked and became inarticulate — Jack London
as shyly inarticulate as a schoolgirl on this theme so vital to her — Rose Macaulay
Synonym: see in addition stupid .
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
intransitive verb
: to become dumb or silent — used with up
transitive verb
: to make silent : deaden
the sight of the great assembly that dumbed the words in his mouth — Donn Byrne
would lie around, dumbed by the drugs — Norman Mailer
III. adjective
1. : not having the capability to process data
a dumb terminal
— compare intelligent 1 herein
2. : being an unguided missile
dumb bombs
— compare smart herein