MEANING
1. Unable to express thoughts or feelings clearly in speech, especially under pressure or emotion.
2. Not expressed in words, though felt or present beneath conscious explanation.
Use it for
Use for speech faltering under strong feeling.Show a character whose emotion exceeds their ability to explain it.
Words that belong together
- inarticulate with grief
- inarticulate response
- inarticulate anger
- inarticulate fear
- inarticulate desire
- inarticulate premise
On the page
He was inarticulate with anger, gripping the rail until his knuckles paled.
An inarticulate fear kept her from entering the room.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- inarticulate
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Usage notes
It describes difficulty of expression, not lack of intelligence; an inarticulate feeling may remain unspoken. Sense 2: This sense can describe feelings or assumptions that have not been put into words.
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