silentsi‧lent /ˈsaɪlənt/ ●●● W3 adjective 
Alan was silent.remain/stay/keep silent She kept silent, forcing Buchanan to continue. The crowd fell silent (=became silent) when the president appeared. b)[only before noun] not talking much to other peoplethe strong silent type (=a man who looks strong and does not talk very much)RegisterSilent is used mainly in writing. In everyday English, people usually use not say anything rather than be silent:· She didn’t say anything, so I carried on.· The article doesn’t say anything about religion.2not communicating failing or refusing to talk about something or express an opinionsilent on/about The report was silent on the subject.3quiet without any sound, or not making any sound: The large house was silent and lonely. At last the guns fell silent. Julie offered up a silent prayer that she would pass her exam.as silent as the grave (=completely silent in a mysterious or uncomfortable way)► see thesaurus at quiet4films [only before noun] a silent film has pictures but no sound5letter a silent letter in a word is not pronounced: The ‘w’ in ‘wreck’ is silent.—silently adverb: He sat silently by the bed.
WORD ORIGINsilent
Origin:
1400-1500 Latin present participle of silere ‘to be silent’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Alice was laughing and joking, but her sister remained silent.
- Apart from the humming of the bees, all was silent and still.
- I wanted to say 'please don't go', but instead I remained silent, and she left.
- Mrs. Welland was a mild silent woman with no strong opinions.
- Phil was silent for a moment as he thought about his reply.
- Police responded to a silent alarm at the bank's Hope Street branch.
- The "b" at the end of "thumb" is silent.
- The children remained silent and watchful as the police questioned their parents.
- The crowd fell silent as he stood up to speak.
- The engine is almost silent, even at high speed, and goes like a dream.
- The hours before the attack were strangely silent.
- The streets of the city were silent in the moonlight.
- The woman fell silent, though she kept darting angry glances at Jessica.
- All that remains of Champa today are its magnificent stone sculptures, silent testimony to an extinct society.
- At dinner he was utterly silent and tried to leave as soon as he had eaten sufficient but before the table was cleared.
- He looked back at the father, who was furious but silent.
- Mr Flood was silent and blessed himself a great deal when he heard the news.
- Several people volunteered for being special constables but Tom remained silent.
- The reporter sighed, was silent for a bit, and then told me the following story.
- Then she recalled his reactions to what he'd labelled her prejudices in St Lucia, and stayed silent.
THESAURUSa quiet sound or voice
not making a loud sound: · I heard a quiet voice behind me.· a car with a quiet engine
quiet – especially because you do not want people to hear or be disturbed: · Doug was on the phone, speaking in a low voice.· I turned the volume down low.
quiet and pleasant to listen to: · Soft music was playing in the background.· His voice was soft and gentle.
not making any sound at all: · a silent prayer· silent laughter· The machines were virtually silent.
deliberately quiet because you do not want people to hear – used about people’s voices: · They were talking about money in hushed tones.· The doctor’s voice was hushed and urgent.
quiet and difficult to hear because it comes from a long way away: · The men went ahead and their voices got fainter and fainter.· the faint sound of bells
difficult to hear, for example because the sound comes from another room or someone’s mouth is covered by something: · Muffled voices were coming from downstairs.· the muffled sound of someone crying
[only before noun] a dull sound is not loud – used especially about the sound of something hitting another thing: · He hit the ground with a dull thud.
too quiet to hear: · The sound is inaudible to the human ear.· Her answer came in an almost inaudible whisper.
a quiet place without much noise: · It’s so quiet here at night.· This is the quietest room in the house to work in.
with no noise at all: · The room fell silent (=became silent).
(also tranquil especially written) quiet in a pleasant and relaxing way: · Life’s more peaceful in the countryside.· The hotel is set in tranquil surroundings.
[only before noun] quiet – used about a town or village where there are not many people and very little happens: · a sleepy fishing village
not saying much not saying much: · He’s a quiet boy who loves reading.· You’re very quiet tonight, Suzy – are you OK?
not saying anything: · Her husband was a big silent man.· Everyone was arguing but I decided to remain silent.
formal not talking much and seeming a little unfriendly or bad-tempered: · He found Vaughn a taciturn and rather difficult person.
unwilling to talk to other people, especially about a particular subject: · She’s always been reticent about her early life.
someone who does not talk much, especially because they only speak when there is something important to say: · My father was a man of few words, but when he spoke everyone listened.
Longman Language Activatorwords for describing a place that is quiet if a place is quiet , there is not much noise there: · Inside the church it was quiet and peaceful.· David and I found a quiet corner where we could talk.· I usually work in the dining room because it's the quietest room in the house.
if a place is silent , there is no noise at all - used especially in stories or descriptions of events: · The streets of the city were silent in the moonlight.· Apart from the humming of the bees, all was silent and still.
if you say you could hear a pin drop , you mean it is very quiet, especially because no one is talking, and even a very small sound would be heard clearly: · It was so quiet in the hall you could hear a pin drop.· After he finished telling the story you could have heard a pin drop.
words for describing people or machines that are quiet if someone or something is quiet , they make little or no noise: · I want you all to be very quiet and listen carefully.· Our new washing machine is much quieter than the old one.
written not making any sound at all: · The children remained silent and watchful as the police questioned their parents.· The engine is almost silent, even at high speed, and goes like a dream.fall silent (=stop talking): · The crowd fell silent as he stood up to speak.
if you do something or something happens without a sound , you do it or it happens with no noise at all - used especially in stories and descriptions of events: · The animal remained perfectly still, watching us without a sound.· There was a final shudder, and then the ship sank without a sound.· Each man died where he stood; they fell in their tracks without a sound.
to not make any noise at all: · Sit still, and don't make a sound.without making a sound: · She managed to get into the house without making a sound.
written if you do something in silence , you do it without speaking: · Thousands of protesters stood in silence outside the prison gates.· We drank our coffee in silence.in total/complete silence: · The two of them walked all the way to Matilda's house in complete silence.
to become quieter · That buzzing noise seems to be getting quieter now.grow quieter (=get quieter gradually) · As we walked into the woods the noise of the traffic grew quieter.
especially British to stop speaking or making any noise at all, for example because you are shocked or embarrassed: · Lawrence went very quiet after Jo told him how she felt.
if shouting, music, laughter etc dies down , it gradually becomes quieter after being very loud: · Forrester waited for the laughter to die down, then carried on with his speech.· The music was dying down. The show was over.die down to: · Jessie's wails died down to a whimper and then stopped altogether.
if a sound fades away , it gradually becomes quieter until you cannot hear it any more: · The sound of a police siren was slowly fading away into the distance.· She listened to Zach's footsteps fade away, as he walked down the staircase.
to suddenly stop talking and become quiet - used in literature and stories: · Dixon fell silent again, deep in thought.· "I had hoped ....," he began, and then fell silent again.· The bar-room door crashed open and the voices at the tables fell silent.
to speak more quietly because you do not want other people to hear what you are saying: · Kath lowered her voice as she spoke.
not saying anything especially written not speaking: · Phil was silent for a moment as he thought about his reply.remain silent: · I wanted to say 'please don't go', but instead I remained silent, and she left.fall silent (=become silent): · The woman fell silent, though she kept darting angry glances at Jessica.
to be unable to say anything because you are very surprised or because you are not prepared for the situation that has suddenly happened: · No matter what happens he never seems lost for words.· She stared at his letter, clearly at a loss for words.
to be suddenly unable to say anything because you are extremely surprised or shocked and cannot believe what has happened: · Amy was struck dumb. Was it possible that her own son had deceived her?be struck dumb with: · When he arrived at the scene of the disaster, he was struck dumb with horror and amazement.
informal to suddenly become unwilling to talk: · He always clams up when I ask him about his job -- do you think he's doing something illegal?· The police took her in for questioning, but she clammed up when they asked about her boyfriend.
unable to say anything because you are very angry, surprised, or upset: · Anna was speechless. She had never seen such luxury before.speechless with: · Laura stared at him, absolutely speechless with rage.leave/render somebody speechless (=make someone speechless): · His words dented her pride and left her speechless.
unable or unwilling to say anything because you are nervous or embarrassed: · She became tongue-tied when she looked at the handsome man sitting beside her.· Nervousness affects people in different ways. While some people become tongue-tied, others cannot stop talking.
spoken say this when someone gives you an unexpected present, or does something bad or shocking, and you cannot express how happy, angry etc you feel: · You're so kind! I don't know what to say.· Well, I don't know what to say. It's absolutely disgraceful!
spoken say this when you are so shocked or angry that you cannot think of anything to say to express how you feel: · Just look at this mess. Look at it. It's...Words fail me!
to not say anything even though you want very much to say what you think: · I had to bite my tongue to stop myself telling Neil exactly what I thought of his stupid plan.· She's so temperamental that even if you disagree with her it's better to bite your tongue and say nothing.
someone who does not talk much someone who is quiet does not talk much. Quiet can be used generally about someone's character, or about a particular situation in which someone does not talk: · The new girl's quiet, but nice enough.· Steven's a very quiet boy who loves reading.· Tyrell was quiet early in the evening, but as he got to know us, he really opened up.
written if someone is silent , they do not say anything. Silent is used before the noun if you are talking about someone's general character, and after the verb if you are talking about a particular situation: · Mrs. Welland was a mild silent woman with no strong opinions.be/remain/stay silent: · Alice was laughing and joking, but her sister remained silent.
formal someone who is taciturn usually does not talk much, so that they may seem a little unfriendly or bad-tempered: · The ship's captain was a taciturn man who spoke only to give orders.· It was unlike her to be so taciturn - she must have had something on her mind.
someone who usually does not talk much, because they only speak when there is something important to say: · My father was a man of few words, but when he spoke everyone listened.· Neighbors remember her as a woman of few words whom everyone respected.
unwilling to talk to other people or unwilling to talk about a particular subject: · Irma was a shy and reticent child.reticent about: · Auster was somewhat reticent about it at first, but finally admitted he was working on a new book.
to stop talking · She was happy to talk about her school and friends, but when I asked her about her parents, she went quiet.· Gerard suddenly realized that the people at the next table had gone quiet and were staring at them.
to suddenly stop talking without finishing what you were saying: · "It's not that I wanted to..." he broke off and sighed.· Kathleen was just telling me about her new car when she suddenly broke off and ran to the window.break off something: · I was sorry to break off his conversation with Margaret, but I had to leave.
written to suddenly stop talking, especially because something has happened to make you feel afraid, sad etc: · "Explain yourself," Mr O'Conner demanded. Paul fell silent, staring hard at the floor.· Everyone in the room fell silent, and Miss Rogers dozed peacefully her chair.
to not talk about a particular subject · It's been three months, but he won't talk about the accident.· She doesn't talk about her husband half as much as she did when he first died.· I don't know what my parents think about my living here - we never talk about it.
to not talk about something, because it could be embarrassing or difficult, or just because you did not think about talking about it: · Didn't she say anything about the party?· Don't say anything about the divorce - it will only upset her.· The company's policy is not to say anything about former employees other than to give their period of employment.
to not talk about something, even for a short time or carelessly: · We were careful not to mention her son's legal problems.· He doesn't mention Cathy anymore when he writes - I wonder if they broke up?not mention (that): · I didn't mention that we were going to the movies in front of John.
to deliberately not talk about something, especially because the subject could be embarrassing or difficult: · I normally keep off the subject of ex-girlfriends on a first date.· Unless the interviewer asks you directly, keep off the question of why you left your last job.
to deliberately stop talking about a particular subject, especially because it is embarrassing, upsetting, or annoying someone: · "You'll never get me to believe that!" she screeched, so I just nodded and dropped the subject.· Can we just drop the subject? I'm sick of hearing about it.· Look, just drop it, OK? I understood you the first time.
to deliberately not talk about something, especially because the subject could be embarrassing or difficult: · We try to steer clear of controversial issues in the workshops.· Her press agent asked the interviewer to steer clear of questions about her love life.
to not talk about an event or situation from the past for a long time, especially because it is very difficult to talk about: · He had kept silent about the murder for ten years before he went to the police.· They said they'd kill her if she didn't keep quiet about what she'd seen.
if you gloss over unpleasant facts, you deliberately avoid talking about them or you only mention them quickly and without giving much detail: · It seems to me he was glossing over some major risks of the plan.· In a job interview you should highlight your strengths and gloss over your weaknesses.
when people who have argued do not talk to each other · "Have you seen Tim lately?" "No, we're not talking at the moment."· When Claire and Andy aren't speaking, she usually calls me up to complain.
if two people are not on speaking terms , their relationship has become so unfriendly that they refuse to talk to each other: · She wasn't on speaking terms with Rachel for several weeks afterwards.· By the end of the year, the two old friends were no longer on speaking terms.
British if a group of people send someone to Coventry , they refuse to talk to that person as a way of punishing them for something: · I don't know why they won't talk to me. I didn't know I'd been sent to Coventry.· When he refused to join the strike, Joe's mates sent him to Coventry for three weeks.
when one person does not talk to another person, usually to show that they are angry: · My sister tried the silent treatment on me, but I just ignored her.give somebody the silent treatment: · On the ride home, Vance's father gave him the silent treatment.
WORD SETSanimation, nounanimator, nounart director, nounart house, nounarts cinema, nounbiopic, nounblue movie, nounB-movie, nouncameo, nouncameraman, nouncartoon, nouncine-, adjectivecine-camera, nouncine-film, nouncinema, nouncinematic, adjectivecinematography, nounclip, nouncontinuity, nouncut, nouncutting room, noundirection, noundouble, noundouble bill, noundouble feature, nounepilogue, nounextra, nounfantasy, nounfarce, nounfeature, nounfeature film, nounfilm star, nounfilmstrip, nounflashback, nounflick, nounfootage, nounfreeze-frame, noungaffer, nounHollywood, home movie, nounhorror movie, nounimage, nounimagery, nounlip-synch, verblocation, nounlot, nounmatinée, nounmiscast, verbmotion picture, nounmovie, nounmoviegoer, nounmovie star, nounmovie theater, nounmoving picture, nounmultiplex, nounmusical, nounnarrator, nounnewsreel, nounoff-screen, adverbopening night, nounOscar, nounout-take, nounPG, nounpremiere, nounproject, verbprojection, nounprojectionist, nounprojector, nounprop, nounrating, nounreel, nounrelease, verbremake, nounremake, verbre-release, verbrerun, nounretake, nounrole, nounscreen, nounscreen, verbscreening, nounscreenplay, nounscreen test, nounscreenwriter, nounscriptwriter, nounset, nounshort, nounshot, nounshow, verbsilent, adjectiveslow motion, nounsoundtrack, nounspaghetti western, nounsplicer, nounsplit screen, nounstand-in, nounstill, nounstudio, nounstunt man, nounstunt woman, nountalkie, nountearjerker, nounTechnicolor, nountheatre, nountheme, noun3-D, adjectivetop-grossing, adjectivetrailer, nountravelogue, nounturkey, nounwestern, nounwhodunit, nounX, nounX-certificate, adjectiveX-rated, adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY She kept silent, forcing Buchanan to continue. The crowd fell silent (=became silent) when the president appeared. At last the guns fell silent. The boy remained silent. Two thousand demonstrators held a candle-lit vigil outside the embassy.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
She kept silent, forcing Buchanan to continue. The crowd fell silent (=became silent) when the president appeared. (=a man who looks strong and does not talk very much)
At last the guns fell silent. (=completely silent in a mysterious or uncomfortable way)
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=made in the time before films had sound)· a star of silent films
· He said a silent prayer as he walked.
The boy remained silent. Two thousand demonstrators held a candle-lit vigil outside the embassy.· Benjamin and Agrippa had fallen strangely silent.· The press has been strangely silent about this event, which is vouched for by professional meteoriticists.· The Kop was strangely silent, watching impassively as several clear chances came and went.· The headlines seem to cry out for better laws, but most citizens remain strangely silent.· As he disappeared, the great chamber fell strangely silent.· Newham council has kept strangely silent about that.· Fred had remained strangely silent all through the parting.
NOUN· But it was used earlier still in silent films, for telephone conversations.· The Hollywood connection goes back even further, in fact, to the early days of silent film.· Pioneering producer Hal Roach also launched a host of other silent film stars including Harold Lloyd.· Griffith and Mack Sennett both filmed in the area while silent film star Tom Mix was an early developer.· At sixteen I discovered an old man who exhibited silent films in villages.· Callista Card is an expert in silent films.
· That will not, by definition, come from the silent majority.· This, therefore, is not the business of the silent majority which you have presented as your target.· This turned him into a hero of the silent majority.· It contains an inherent fallacy: you are expecting the silent majority to speak.· For the silent majority will always be silent.· The silent majority had begun to stand up.· Highly-educated women were able to find a place within society: the silent majority remained silent.· Following the statement, the silent majority returned to silence.
· The ticket he was presented that morning by the silent man in the medium-grey gabardine raincoat was just another ticket.· The culprits, he says, were two silent men dressed in black.· But, of course, he was and is a fairly silent man.· He was a cipher to me, a silent man of abstracted benevolence, and I never got to know him well.· Then the silent man simply walked out of the room, with a nod and a smile.· The last is Tydeus, a silent man.· Half a dozen silent men and women sat around smoking: old tins served as ashtrays.
· But, given the doom and gloom already surrounding the earliest silent movies, maybe he wasn't joking at all.· He accused me of histrionics and dubbed me Sarah Bernhardt, after the crown princess of stage and silent movie melodrama.· It didn't deter many of Hollywood's young stars in those days of silent movies from using drugs.· Eventually, he coerces several of them onstage to shoot a silent movie, somehow selecting precisely the right individuals.· He would fit more naturally into an old silent movie than he would have done on Tiswas.
· Presuppositions are the silent partners in thought, but their silence must not be mistaken for their absence.· He has a silent partner and some name-brand advertisers.· He wants to know were you my silent partner.· Whenever a dad plays, there is usually a mom playing, who may not realize she is a silent partner.
· For an hour the two women sat in silent prayer, nervously scanning the other customers.· As taps played across the land, Oliver Stone must have bowed his head in silent prayer.· His lips moved in silent prayer.· He paused for a moment, his head bowed in silent prayer.· Half an hour - at least: songs, prayers, loud prayers, silent prayers.· Half of his mind was saying silent prayers.· She lit a candle over there as a silent prayer for her estranged husband and went home.· Miles offered up a silent prayer as he walked.
WORD FAMILYnounsilencesilenceradjectivesilentverbsilenceadverbsilently
1not speaking a)not saying anything: Alan was silent.remain/stay/keep silent She kept silent, forcing Buchanan to continue. The crowd fell silent (=became silent) when the president appeared. b)[only before noun] not talking much to other peoplethe strong silent type (=a man who looks strong and does not talk very much)RegisterSilent is used mainly in writing. In everyday English, people usually use not say anything rather than be silent:· She didn’t say anything, so I carried on.· The article doesn’t say anything about religion.2not communicating failing or refusing to talk about something or express an opinionsilent on/about The report was silent on the subject.3quiet without any sound, or not making any sound: The large house was silent and lonely. At last the guns fell silent. Julie offered up a silent prayer that she would pass her exam.as silent as the grave (=completely silent in a mysterious or uncomfortable way)► see thesaurus at quiet4films [only before noun] a silent film has pictures but no sound5letter a silent letter in a word is not pronounced: The ‘w’ in ‘wreck’ is silent.—silently adverb: He sat silently by the bed.- Onassis, Aristotle
- Onassis, Jackie
- on-board
- once
- Once in Royal David's City
- once-over
- oncologist
- oncology
- oncoming
- Ondaatje, Michael
- one
- O'Neal, Shaquille
- one another
- one-armed bandit
- one-dimensional
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- one-horse
- One Hundred and One Dalmatians
- O'Neill, Eugene
- one-liner
- one-man
- one-man band
- One Nation Party
- oneness
- one-night stand