silent
making no sound; quiet; still: a silent motor.
refraining from speech.
speechless; mute.
not inclined to speak; taciturn; reticent.
characterized by absence of speech or sound: a silent prayer.
unspoken; tacit: a silent assent.
omitting mention of something, as in a narrative: The records are silent about this crime.
inactive or quiescent, as a volcano.
not sounded or pronounced: The “b” in “doubt” is a silent letter.
Movies. not having spoken dialogue or a soundtrack.
Medicine/Medical. producing no symptoms: silent gallstones.
Usually silents. silent films.
Origin of silent
1synonym study For silent
Other words for silent
Opposites for silent
Other words from silent
- si·lent·ly, adverb
- si·lent·ness, noun
- o·ver·si·lent, adjective
- o·ver·si·lent·ly, adverb
- o·ver·si·lent·ness, noun
- su·per·si·lent, adjective
- su·per·si·lent·ly, adverb
- un·si·lent, adjective
- un·si·lent·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use silent in a sentence
Always somewhat over-silent and reserved, he now seemed scarcely conscious, at times, of even the presence of others.
A Night on the Borders of the Black Forest | Amelia B. EdwardsA placid moon shone over silent fields, and only the soft whirr of the motor broke the silence as they sped along.
The Riddle of the Purple Emperor | Mary E. Hanshew and Thomas W. HanshewHow gloriously it must be shining over silent woods and lakes, flashing silver on the pines and the ripples by the shore.
Diane of the Green Van | Leona DalrympleHe was so little able to speak what he felt about James that he was embarrassed and over-silent about him.
The Whirligig of Time | Wayland Wells Williams
British Dictionary definitions for silent
/ (ˈsaɪlənt) /
characterized by an absence or near absence of noise or sound: a silent house
tending to speak very little or not at all
unable to speak
failing to speak, communicate, etc, when expected: the witness chose to remain silent
not spoken or expressed: silent assent
not active or in operation: a silent volcano
(of a letter) used in the conventional orthography of a word but no longer pronounced in that word: the ``k'' in ``know'' is silent
denoting a film that has no accompanying soundtrack, esp one made before 1927, when such soundtracks were developed
a silent film
Origin of silent
1Derived forms of silent
- silently, adverb
- silentness, noun
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
Scientific definitions for silent
[ sī′lənt ]
Relating to a mutation that changes a nucleotide in a codon without a difference in the amino acid for which it is coded. See more at point mutation.
Producing no detectable signs or symptoms, as a medical condition such as heart attack.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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