to give a voice to the voiceless

1 6.0

Speak up for people who cannot be heard

idiom

: dar voz a los sin voz

Isn't it always better to give a voice to the voiceless so that cooler heads can prevail?

Examples

In her speech, the leader aimed to give a voice to the voiceless by addressing the struggles of those affected by poverty.
He gave a voice to the voiceless.

Blog text (20)
Marie Colvin reports from war zones to give a voice to the voiceless and ensure their stories are heard.
Activists work hard to give a voice to the voiceless, shining a light on the issues faced by marginalized communities.

Synonyms

to give voice

vsto give a voice to the voiceless

15 4.3

To put thoughts or feelings into words

advocates for people who cannot express themselves directly

to represent

vsto give a voice to the voiceless

5 4.4

Point out a problem or concern to ask for change

advocates for marginalized people rather than only highlighting issues

Antonyms

to silence

169 3.5

To stop someone from speaking or making noise

to marginalize

81 7.4

Treat a person or group as unimportant and push them aside

How Vocal

to give a voice to the voiceless

1 6.0

to advocate for

69 3.9

to speak for

133 3.4

to mention

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

give a voice to the voiceless infinitive

gave a voice to the voiceless past

given a voice to the voiceless past participle

giving a voice to the voiceless present participle

gives a voice to the voiceless third person singular

Morphology

give + a + voice + to + the + voiceless

The meaning is directly derivable from the known constituents: 'give' (provide), 'voice' (expression or representation) and 'voiceless' (those unable to speak or be heard). The metaphorical use of 'voice' as representation is common across languages and follows a clear compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the words can infer the MWE means to represent or speak up for marginalized people.

Etymology

The phrase give a voice to the voiceless creates a simple image: giving a microphone to someone who is voiceless so their voice can be heard. So it means 'to speak up for' or 'represent' people who cannot speak for themselves.