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Definition of silent adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

silent

adjective
 
 
/ˈsaɪlənt/
 
/ˈsaɪlənt/
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  1.  
     where there is little or no sound; making little or no sound synonym quiet
    • At last the traffic fell silent.
    • The streets were silent and deserted.
    Extra Examples
    • The new bus is virtually silent.
    • As darkness began to fall, the cannon fell silent.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • seem
    • become
    • …
    adverb
    • absolutely
    • completely
    • dead
    • …
    preposition
    • about
    • on
    See full entry
  2.  
     (of a person) not speaking
    • to remain/stay/keep silent
    • As the curtain rose, the audience fell silent.
    • He gave me the silent treatment (= did not speak to me because he was angry).
    • Half the room went silent and turned to see what was happening.
    • They huddled together in silent groups.
    • The mayor was silent for a moment.
    Extra Examples
    • Len remained obstinately silent.
    • She sat silent throughout the meal.
    • I could not keep silent any longer.
    • The room grew silent as the men entered.
    • We were asked to remain silent for two minutes.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • seem
    • become
    • …
    adverb
    • absolutely
    • completely
    • dead
    • …
    preposition
    • about
    • on
    See full entry
  3.  
     [only before noun] not expressed with words or sound
    • a silent prayer/protest
    • They nodded in silent agreement.
  4. (of a letter in a word) written but not pronounced
    • The ‘b’ in ‘lamb’ is silent.
  5. [only before noun] (of old films) with pictures but no sound
    • a silent film/movie
    • stars of the silent screen
    Topics Film and theatreb2
  6. [only before noun] not talking very much synonym quiet
    • He's the strong silent type.
  7. silent (on/about something) not giving information about something; refusing to speak about something
    • The report is strangely silent on this issue.
    • the right to remain silent (= the legal right not to say anything when you are arrested)
    Extra Examples
    • They had kept remarkably silent about their intentions.
    • This is a subject about which the official documents are ominously silent.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • seem
    • become
    • …
    adverb
    • absolutely
    • completely
    • dead
    • …
    preposition
    • about
    • on
    See full entry
    8. Word Originlate 15th cent. (in the sense ‘not speaking’): from Latin silent- ‘being silent’, from the verb silere.
See silent in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee silent in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: silent

Nearby words

sufficiently
adverb
 
 
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