silence
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.
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.
be silent! “Silence!” the teacher shouted.
Origin of silence
1Other words for silence
Other words from silence
- o·ver·si·lence, noun
- un·si·lenced, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use silence in a sentence
Before the final push up Shafer Canyon, I ride ahead, into a silence broken only by the whoosh of a raven overhead.
On mountain bikes in the Utah desert, a college reunion like no other | John Briley | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostTo be clear, Bronzaft is not advocating for silence or anything close to it.
Please Get Your Noise Out of My Ears (Ep. 439) | Stephen J. Dubner | November 12, 2020 | FreakonomicsMet with silence, Raskin concluded, “Okay, I take it the answer is no.”
Barrett was very careful, of course, to say that her silence on Roe was not a sign that she thought it should be overruled.
What We’ve Managed To Learn About How Amy Coney Barrett Would Rule On Abortion And The Election | Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux (Amelia.Thomson-DeVeaux@abc.com) | October 14, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightThere was silence because the doctor looked like they were in shock.
The final question we should ask: are they pursuing justice and the rule of law, or merely silencing those who embarrass them?
Sentencing Looms for Barrett Brown, Advocate for “Anonymous” | Kevin M. Gallagher | December 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen it was his turn to speak, Ostronic warned that Kimberlin was trying to “enlist” the jury in a silencing of free speech.
The Weirdest Story About a Conservative Obsession, a Convicted Bomber, and Taylor Swift You Have Ever Read | David Weigel | August 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen the warrior runs into the Stark soldiers, she disposes of them with extreme prejudice, silencing the chatty Jaime.
Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie on Brienne of Tarth’s Epic S4 Finale Showdown with The Hound | Marlow Stern | June 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe story of Lady Day, ultimately, is about the creation – and ultimately silencing – of a uniquely American voice.
Audra for the Win: Why Audra McDonald Must Win Tony for Best Actress | Daniel Gross | June 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut the move also represents a growing sophistication in its approach to silencing critics.
Moscow’s War on Social Media Claims a New Casualty | Jacob Siegel | April 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDavis's militia worked it and succeeded in disabling the most dangerous of the enemy's gunboats and silencing its cannon.
Elsie's Vacation and After Events | Martha FinleyHe had succeeded in silencing the man at the Lion d'Or that night, why should he not succeed again?
The Light That Lures | Percy BrebnerNo matter how perfect this covering may be, it is never completely effective in silencing the enemy fire.
Private Peat | Harold R. PeatKit turned a silencing frown on the philosopher of the skillet, but Billie went toward the guest with outstretching hands.
The Treasure Trail | Marah Ellis RyanBut although ease may be obtained by silencing self-reproach, safety scarcely can.
The Life of Nelson, Vol. I (of 2) | A. T. (Alfred Thayer) Mahan
British Dictionary definitions for silence
/ (ˈsaɪləns) /
the state or quality of being silent
the absence of sound or noise; stillness
refusal or failure to speak, communicate, etc, when expected: his silence on the subject of their promotion was alarming
a period of time without noise
oblivion or obscurity
to bring to silence
to put a stop to; extinguish: to silence all complaint
Origin of silence
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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