COMMON If you are lost for words or at a loss for words, you are so amazed, shocked, or sad that you do not know what to say or how to express your feelings in words. She looked shocked and was, for a moment, lost for words. They were all waiting for me to say something. But for the first time in my life I felt at a loss for words. Note: You can also say that you are stuck for words. I was astonished to have been given the award — I was stuck for words.