lost for words
lost for words — 片語動詞
- lost for wordsbase form
- losts for words3rd person singular
- losting for words-ing form
- losted for wordspast simple
1. to be so surprised, shocked, or deeply moved that you cannot find the right word
說不出話
因驚訝或激動而說不出話
to be so surprised, shocked, or deeply moved that you cannot find the right words to speak at that moment.
When Nala won the scholarship, she was lost for words and could only smile.
Nala 聽到自己獲得獎學金時，完全說不出話來，只是坐在那裡微笑。
be + lost for words after surprising good news
Andrés was lost for words when the company announced they were closing the factory.
公司宣布要關閉工廠時，Andrés 震驚得說不出話來。
The young poet stood lost for words as the audience gave her a standing ovation.
那位年輕詩人站在舞台上，當全場觀眾起立為她鼓掌時，她完全說不出話來。
Reema was lost for words when she opened the box and saw her grandmother's ring.
Reema 打開盒子，看到祖母的戒指時，感動得說不出話來。
- speechless
more common and can be used in the same situations; 'lost for words' emphasises the inability to find anything appropriate to say
- dumbfounded
stronger, often implies confusion or disbelief as well as silence
- at a loss for words
slightly more formal; identical in meaning
- fluent
able to speak easily without stopping or searching for words
文法句型
be + lost for words
用法筆記
Always used in the pattern 'be + lost for words'. Cannot appear in progressive tenses (❌ 'I am being lost for words'). The subject is usually a person, and the cause of speechlessness is typically a strong emotion such as surprise, shock, gratitude, or grief.