silence

[ sahy-luhns ]

/ ˈsaɪ ləns /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR silence ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

absence of any sound or noise; stillness.

the state or fact of being silent; muteness.

absence or omission of mention, comment, or expressed concern: the conspicuous silence of our newspapers on local graft.

the state of being forgotten; oblivion: in the news again after years of silence.

concealment; secrecy.

verb (used with object), si·lenced, si·lenc·ing.

to put or bring to silence; still.

to put (doubts, fears, etc.) to rest; quiet.

Military. to still (enemy guns), as by more effective fire.

interjection

be silent! “Silence!” the teacher shouted.

Nearby words

Origin of silence

1175–1225; Middle English (noun) < Old French < Latin silentium. See silent, -ence

SYNONYMS FOR silence

6 hush, quell, muzzle, gag.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR silence ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formso·ver·si·lence, nounun·si·lenced, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for silence

If so, he has his silence -- on top of poor judgment -- to blame.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Jay is hard to empathize with and his silence suggests that, yeah, something is up.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Do not use complaints, courts and lawyers to beat and to silence the enemy,” the NOA activists wrote.
Italy’s Terror on the Tracks|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The families announced along with it that they had entered a “phase of silence” surrounding the details of the new deal.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

These are men who now have wives and children, and their silence so many years later shows how morally bankrupt they remain.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything|Liz Seccuro|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We set out in silence, and having descended a steep path, we stopped at the water's edge and crossed swords.
Marie|Alexander Pushkin
There was silence then for a few moments before he spoke again.
By Birth a Lady|George Manville Fenn
No one inquires who the man is who is at his side, and each pursues in silence his own researches.
Three Years in Europe|William Wells Brown
How absurd would it be then to argue against the existence of customs or facts, from the silence of such scanty records as these!
Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, Volume I (of 3)|Thomas Percy
Jarwin walked aft and stood near the lee gangway contemplating the island in silence for some time.
Jarwin and Cuffy|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for silence

silence

/ (ˈsaɪləns) /

noun

the state or quality of being silent

the absence of sound or noise; stillness

refusal or failure to speak, communicate, etc, when expectedhis silence on the subject of their promotion was alarming

a period of time without noise

oblivion or obscurity

verb (tr)

to bring to silence

to put a stop to; extinguishto silence all complaint

Word Origin for silence

C13: via Old French from Latin silēntium, from silēre to be quiet. See silent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for silence (1 of 2)

silence

c.1200, "muteness, state of being silent," from Old French silence "state of being silent; absence of sound," from Latin silentium "a being silent," from silens, present participle of silere "be quiet or still," of unknown origin. Meaning "absence of sound" in English is from late 14c.

Word Origin and History for silence (1 of 2)

silence

1560s, intransitive, "become still or silent;" 1590s, transitive, "make silent," from silence (n.). Related: Silenced; silencing.

silence

noun

verb (used with object), si·lenced, si·lenc·ing.

interjection

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Nearby words

Origin of silence

Examples from the Web for silence

British Dictionary definitions for silence

silence

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for silence

Word Origin and History for silence (1 of 2)

silence

Word Origin and History for silence (1 of 2)

silence