瘂 (yǎ) - Mute & unable to speak

瘂Tone 3

yǎ ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

信嫣

瘂 · yǎ

Mute;

unable to speak;

dumb;

mute person.

Muteunable to speakdumb

Usage highlights

Mute personBecome muteMute and deafDumbstruckMute signDumbstricken

Synonyms

  • 啞— mute; dumb (traditional variant)

Antonyms

  • 言— speak; word
  • 語— language; speech

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The accident left him mute (瘂了).
  • She communicates using sign language because she is mute (瘂的).
  • The term refers to a person who cannot speak (瘂人).

Collocations

  • Mute person(瘂人)
  • Become mute(瘂了)
  • Mute and deaf(瘂聾)
  • Dumbstruck(瘂口無言)
  • Mute sign(瘂語)
  • Dumbstricken(瘂然)

Idioms

  • Dumbstruck and speechless(瘂口無言)
  • Pretending to be mute and deaf(裝瘂作聾)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used to describe a physical condition of being unable to speak.
  • In literature, it can metaphorically describe being speechless due to shock or awe.

FAQ