Refusal to speak

• Inability to speak
• Inability to speak of misshapen summit
• The condition of being unable or unwilling to speak
• "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" malady

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. the condition of being unable or unwilling to speak

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Mutism \Mut"ism\, n. The condition, state, or habit of being mute, or without speech. --Max M["u]ller.

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. A psychological disorder in which the sufferer cannot speak in certain situations.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"state of being mute," 1824, from French mutisme (1741), from Latin mutus (see mute (adj.)).