verklempt
ver·klempt/fɚˈklɛm(p)t/adjective
verklempt is spelled V-E-R-K-L-E-M-P-T: 9 letters and 2 syllables (ver·klempt). It appears about once in every 52 million words in written English, the 225,584th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, verklempt means “Overcome with emotion, choked up” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in verklempt?
| Letters | 9: V-E-R-K-L-E-M-P-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ver·klempt |
| In writing | about once in every 52 million words; the 225,584th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is verklempt?
Verklempt appears about once in every 52 million words in written English, the 225,584th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce verklempt?
- UK /fəˈklɛm(p)t/
- UK /və-/
- US /fɚˈklɛm(p)t/
Verklempt has 2 syllables, split ver·klempt in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-verklempt.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-JutishMale-verklempt.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with verklempt?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as verklempt from its last stressed vowel (/ɛmt/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of verklempt
- more verklempt comparative
- most verklempt superlative
- faclempt
- faklempt
- farklempt
- ferklempt
- verklemmt
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does verklempt mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
UScolloquialOvercome with emotion, choked up.
- 2
UScolloquialFlustered, nervous, overwhelmed.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does verklempt come from?
Borrowed from Yiddish פֿאַרקלעמט (farklemt, “depressed, distraught; choked up”). The English spelling was influenced by the German prefix ver- corresponding to Yiddish פֿאַר־ (far-). German verklemmt (“uptight”, literally “jammed”) is formally cognate, but semantically unrelated; a closer match is beklommen (“anxious, despondent”). Popularized by a 1990s sketch comedy series.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).