# dumbness

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The state of being mute: that is, of not communicating vocally, whether from selective mutism (refusal to speak) or from an inability to speak.
2. Muteness, silence; abstention from speech.
3. Show or gesture without words; pantomime; dumb-show.
4. The quality of being stupid or foolish.

## Etymology
From Middle English dombenesse, from Old English dumbnes; equivalent to dumb + -ness. Cognate with Old Frisian dumbnisse (“folly, dumbness”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/dumbness