Search from various Englisch teachers...
Agustín
—to be at a loss for words.
—to be lost for words.
Why these two different ways of saying it? Is there any difference between using one or the other?
Thanks!
14. Nov. 2023 14:18
Antworten · 8
2
There's no difference in meaning. "At a loss for words" is an idiom that goes back centuries. "Lost for words" is a more modern and informal equivalent.
14. November 2023
1
They mean the same thing. In the US, I think the first way is more common. "To be speechless" is a third way.
Unfortunately, in English as in other languages, there can be more than one way to say the same thing. It's often hard to explain why one is used rather than the other. For example, nobody has been able to explain to me how a Spanish speaker decides whether to say "hubiera" or "hubiese."
14. November 2023
They mean almost the same but they feel different.
To understand the difference, ignore "for words" and just consider the difference between "I am at a loss" and "I am lost". They do not have the same meaning.
"I am at a loss" means I am stymied, foiled, blank, bare, emptied, stranded, forlorn.
"I am lost" just means I cannot find my way.
"At a loss" is a more powerful image.
15. November 2023
Haben Sie noch keine Antworten gefunden?
Geben Sie Ihre Fragen ein und lassen Sie sich von Muttersprachlern helfen!
Agustín
Sprachfähigkeiten
Englisch, Spanisch
Lernsprache
Englisch
Artikel, die Ihnen gefallen könnten

🎃 October Traditions: Halloween, Holidays, and Learning Portuguese
16 positive Bewertungen · 0 Kommentare

The Curious World of Silent Letters in English
14 positive Bewertungen · 4 Kommentare

5 Polite Ways to Say “No” at Work
20 positive Bewertungen · 3 Kommentare
Weitere Artikel