Help me find this word!
January 2, 2011 3:32 PM Subscribe
A friend is searching for "a word that describes the state of knowing something but being unable to express it". Not by physical defect or injury, but like being tongue-tied. He's looking for one word only.
Aphasia isn't quite it, because it requires a defect. But that might be what he's thinking of.
Dumbstruck probably isn't it either, because that's not a specific word, but a temporary inability to speak.
(Verklempt is to be emotionally choked up and unable to speak due to a "lump in the throat")
posted by gjc at 3:38 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Dumbstruck probably isn't it either, because that's not a specific word, but a temporary inability to speak.
(Verklempt is to be emotionally choked up and unable to speak due to a "lump in the throat")
posted by gjc at 3:38 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Taciturn?
posted by sarastro at 3:42 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by sarastro at 3:42 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wordless
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:42 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:42 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Dumbstruck? Aphasic?
posted by jessamyn at 3:52 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 3:52 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: inarticulate?
in·ar·tic·u·late/ˌinärˈtikyəlit/Adjective
1. Unable to speak distinctly or express oneself clearly.
posted by TheGoodBlood at 4:01 PM on January 2, 2011
in·ar·tic·u·late/ˌinärˈtikyəlit/Adjective
1. Unable to speak distinctly or express oneself clearly.
posted by TheGoodBlood at 4:01 PM on January 2, 2011
It's "tip of the tongue" phenomenon, but I can't think of a single word to express that. Maybe that phrase'll help you find it, though.
According to Wiki, a bunch of different languages use that same expression to describe what you're talking about.
posted by estlin at 4:15 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
According to Wiki, a bunch of different languages use that same expression to describe what you're talking about.
posted by estlin at 4:15 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
ineffable?
posted by ultrapotato at 4:31 PM on January 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by ultrapotato at 4:31 PM on January 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
Confabulated?
posted by ZaneJ. at 4:33 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ZaneJ. at 4:33 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
...?
posted by Nomyte at 4:35 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Nomyte at 4:35 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Inexpressible.
posted by orthogonality at 4:45 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by orthogonality at 4:45 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
speechless or dumbfounded?
Or, why not just use tongue-tied? Since it's one word and you already used it in your description, it seems like it fits better than any of our other suggestions which are close but not quite.
posted by amyms at 5:00 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Or, why not just use tongue-tied? Since it's one word and you already used it in your description, it seems like it fits better than any of our other suggestions which are close but not quite.
posted by amyms at 5:00 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
"She couldn't find the words to express her objection, but her gut told her this was totally wrong."
posted by Short Attention Sp at 5:12 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Short Attention Sp at 5:12 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Gob-smacked. Does it count as two if it's hyphenated?
posted by plinth at 5:16 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by plinth at 5:16 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: "Aphasia" is commonly used to refer to the everyday phenomenon in addition to the actual condition mentioned above.
posted by cmoj at 5:37 PM on January 2, 2011
posted by cmoj at 5:37 PM on January 2, 2011
Paralyzed (in a metaphorical sense)? Mum?
"Wordless" and "dumbstruck" work best of the ones so far, IMHO. I'd also use the phrase "at a loss for words" if not for the somewhat arbitrary one-word requirement.
posted by Rhaomi at 6:03 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
"Wordless" and "dumbstruck" work best of the ones so far, IMHO. I'd also use the phrase "at a loss for words" if not for the somewhat arbitrary one-word requirement.
posted by Rhaomi at 6:03 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
mute
posted by salvia at 8:46 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by salvia at 8:46 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
"tip-of-the-tongue" is the term used in psychology to describe this phenomenon in healthy people.
posted by dantekgeek at 8:48 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by dantekgeek at 8:48 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Then you know it in visceral terms.
posted by beardlace at 9:59 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by beardlace at 9:59 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Geh, heathergirl beat me to suggesting lethologica. +1.
posted by AthenaPolias at 2:08 PM on January 3, 2011
posted by AthenaPolias at 2:08 PM on January 3, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by thinkpiece at 3:36 PM on January 2, 2011 [1 favorite]