What does "silent" mean?
That which is silent; a time of silence.
Silent
/ˈsaɪlənt/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: That which is silent; a time of silence.
- Grammar: silent is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: mum, mute, soundless, unspoken.
- Useful contrasts: audible, boastful, loud.
- Usage evidence: Students must keep silent during class.
How to use "silent"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "silent" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "silent" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "silent" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "silent" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "silent" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mum" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "silent", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 That which is silent; a time of silence. uncountable
"Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night."
- 2 Acronym of syndrome of irreversible lithium-effectuated neurotoxicity. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, uncountable
- 3 A member of the Silent Generation. in-plural
"From Ali (technically a Silent who was born in 1942), to Tommie Smith's medal-stand protest, to Joe Namath's Super Bowl prediction to the hair-raising Oakland A's and the raucous Bronx Zoo Yankees of the 1970s, to the outbursts of Connors and McEnroe on the tennis court, to King's tireless push for women's equality off it, this was a generation unafraid of offering opinions."
- 4 A silent movie
"More than 40 films will be shown spanning the past seventy-five years, including early silents and talkies, contemporary productions, foreign and American films, documentaries, underground works and television shows."
Adjective
- 1 Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.
"How silent is this town!"
- 2 Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.
"Ulysses, adds he, was the most eloquent and most silent of men."
- 3 Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed.
"The winds were silent, all the waves asleep, / And heaven was trac'd upon the flattering deep"
- 4 Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent.
"The e is silent in fable."
- 5 Having no effect; not operating; inefficient.
"Cause […] silent, virtueless, and dead."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 With the sound turned off; usually on silent or in silent mode.
"My phone was on silent."
- 7 Without audio capability.
"The Magnavox Odyssey was a silent console."
- 8 Hidden, unseen.
"a silent voter; a silent partner"
- 9 Of an edit or change to a text, not explicitly acknowledged.
"silent revisions; a silent emendation"
- 10 Not implying significant modifications which would affect a peptide sequence.
- 11 Undiagnosed or undetected because of an absence of symptoms.
- 12 Of distilled spirit: having no flavour or odour.
Adjective
- 1 unable to speak because of hereditary deafness wordnet
- 2 expressed without speech wordnet
- 3 having a frequency below or above the range of human audibility wordnet
- 4 not made to sound wordnet
- 5 failing to speak or communicate etc. when expected to wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 implied by or inferred from actions or statements wordnet
- 7 marked by absence of sound wordnet
Example
"Students must keep silent during class."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "silent"?
Common synonyms include: mum, mute, soundless, unspoken, absolute quiet, anechoic.
How do you use "silent" in a sentence?
Students must keep silent during class.
How do you pronounce "silent"?
Pronounced /ˈsaɪlənt/.
Etymology
From Latin silēns (“silent”), present participle of sileō (“be silent”), from Proto-Indo-European *seyl- (“still, windless, quiet, slow”). Related to Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽 (anasilan, “to cease, grow still, be silent”), Old English sālnes (“silence”).