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ぐうの音も出ない (ぐうのねもでない) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, i-adjective
lost for words ; speechless ; unable to reply
Used when someone is so overwhelmed, embarrassed, or proven wrong that they cannot utter even a small sound (ぐう). Often follows a decisive argument or revelation.
られ
て
、
ぐうの
音ね
も
出で
ない
。
When presented with the evidence, I was speechless.
Similar words 言こと 葉ば を 失うしな う A more literal 'lose one's words', often from shock or emotion. ぐうの音も出ない emphasizes being silenced by logic or shame, unable to make even a small sound.
返かえ す 言こと 葉ば もない Literally 'have no words to return', similar in meaning but less idiomatic and vivid than ぐうの音も出ない.
Etymology The phrase literally means 'not even a grunt (ぐう) comes out'. ぐう is an onomatopoeia for a small, stifled sound, and the expression paints a picture of being so defeated that one cannot even produce that minimal noise.
