| / English Dictionary |
MUTENESS
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A refusal to speak when expected
Example:
his silence about my contribution was surprising
Synonyms:
muteness; silence
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("muteness" is a kind of...):
uncommunicativeness (the trait of being uncommunicative)
Derivation:
mute (expressed without speech)
Sense 2
Meaning:
The condition of being unable or unwilling to speak
Example:
her muteness was a consequence of her deafness
Synonyms:
muteness; mutism
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("muteness" is a kind of...):
condition; status (a state at a particular time)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "muteness"):
deaf-muteness; deaf-mutism (congenital deafness that results in inability to speak)
Derivation:
mute (unable to speak because of hereditary deafness)
mute (expressed without speech)
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