silent
adjective
si·lent
| \ ˈsī-lənt
\
\
Definition of silent
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: making no utterance : mute, speechless
b
: indisposed to speak : not loquacious
2
: free from sound or noise : still
3
: performed or borne without utterance : unspoken
silent prayer silent grief
4a
: making no mention
history is silent about this person
b
: not widely or generally known or appreciated
the silent pressures on a person in public office
c
: making no protest or outcry
the silent majority
5
: unpronounced
the silent b in doubt
6
: not exhibiting the usual signs or symptoms of presence
a silent infection
7a
: made without spoken dialogue
silent movies
b
: of or relating to silent movies
silent
nounDefinition of silent (Entry 2 of 2)
: a motion picture made without spoken dialogue
—usually used in plural
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Synonyms & Antonyms for silent
Synonyms: Adjective
dumb, mum, mute, muted, speechless, uncommunicative, wordless
Antonyms: Adjective
communicative, speaking, talking
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Examples of silent in a Sentence
Adjective
She was silent for a few minutes as she thought about how to answer him. The crowd fell silent as the horrible news was read aloud. My father was a very silent man. He was the strong, silent type. He said he would call me, but the phone was silent all day. A long, silent pause followed her reply.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Many privately acknowledged having received Mr. Steyer’s funds in the past and said hopes for his money in the future had kept them silent. — Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, "Can $100 Million Buy a Spot at the Debate?," 27 Aug. 2019 In 2017, during hearings in the run-up to the civil trial, Levandowski fought hard to keep silent. — NBC News, "Former Google self-driving car engineer charged with stealing trade secrets," 27 Aug. 2019 In public, however, the normally voluble tycoons have fallen silent. — The Economist, "The turmoil in Hong Kong stems in part from its unaffordable housing," 22 Aug. 2019 The wrong thing shouldn't be something that keeps us silent. — Kate Dwyer, Marie Claire, "Jacqueline Woodson's Red At The Bone Takes On Race, Sexuality, and Class," 22 Aug. 2019 The race fell silent again as riders stopped at the same distance that the crash occurred the day before as spectators lined the route with banners commemorating the 22-year-old. — Ben Church, CNN, "Racing was suspended in emotional tribute to cyclist who died after crash," 7 Aug. 2019 On August 4, 1922, 97 years ago today, America's telephones briefly fell silent. — CBS News, "Almanac: The day telephones fell silent across North America," 4 Aug. 2019 Suddenly, the lights went dark, and the speakers fell silent. — James Barron, BostonGlobe.com, "Power restored after failure leaves Manhattan’s West Side, and subway, in the dark," 14 July 2019 Joanna Clark had never left her younger children, then aged between 2 and 10, for an extended period of time and Shariece Clark’s usually active social media feeds fell silent. — Ian Duncan, baltimoresun.com, "Woman seeks justice for daughter and granddaughter more than 2 years after they disappeared in South Baltimore," 5 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Schoenberg, with the aid of two UCLA students, tries out his idea by imagining the events of his life as depicted in different film genres—silents, noir mysteries, Disney cartoons, musicals and westerns. — Heidi Waleson, WSJ, "‘Schoenberg in Hollywood’ Review: Grandiose Fantasy," 20 Nov. 2018 And in the midst of Weinstein’s wave of accusers coming forward last year, the mogul was radio silent until actress Lupita Nyong’o shared her own account of his alleged misconduct towards her. — Allison Mcgevna, Glamour, "A Year Later, Is the #MeToo Movement Stuck in Hollywood?," 5 Oct. 2018 There were silent and live auctions, with items including jewelry, signed memorabilia from players like Bryce Harper, Jose Altuve, and Ken Griffey Jr., a trip to MLB All-Star week, as well as the ability to donate directly to Team Gleason. — David Herder, SI.com, ""This Is Baseball's Disease": ESPN's Jon Sciambi Rallies Names Around Baseball to ALS Gala," 6 June 2018 Barca are remaining silent on the subject of Griezmann's future but it is expected that the Frenchman will complete a move to the Nou Camp this summer, leaving his current employers in desperate need of goals. — SI.com, "Atletico Madrid Line Up Move for West Brom Striker as Unlikely Antoine Griezmann Replacement," 26 May 2018 Against the noisiness of a (criminal) minority, Nixon posited the silent, victimized majority, a note his Administration sounded over and over. — Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, "The Rise of the Victims’-Rights Movement," 14 May 2018 There were silent and live auctions, a wine tasting, dinner, an award presentation and dancing. — Carol Kovach, cleveland.com, "Angel Gala raises $125,000 for St. Michael School in Independence, Brecksville," 29 Apr. 2018 As the silents move on to their reward, and as the boomers (the cohort of people born between 1946 and 1964) age, the boomers make up a greater portion of the 65-plus age bracket tracked by researchers who study alcohol consumption. — Joel Achenbach, chicagotribune.com, "Study shows baby boomers are drinking alcohol at an alarming rate," 20 Apr. 2018 Both Dunphy and McKie have been unavailable for comment and likely will continue remaining silent until a deal is finalized. — Marc Narducci, Philly.com, "Negotiations ongoing over Fran Dunphy's exit from Temple, source says," 31 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'silent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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