1
as in mute
deliberately refraining from speech
the suddenly silent child had to be prompted to say hello
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reserved
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
a naturally silent boy, he was often overshadowed by his louder siblings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in quieted
mostly or entirely without sound
the room was so silent that you could have heard the proverbial pin drop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in talkie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of silent
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 9 Apr. 2025
Before Denzel’s commanding presence or Viola’s gut-wrenching monologues, there was Sam Lucas, the first Black actor to play Uncle Tom in a 1914 silent film.
—Essence, 9 Apr. 2025
Vulture, 24 Jan. 2023
So the various greenhouses and whatnots were familiar to Martha-content enthusiasts as the vans quickly took us past the beautiful part of her property toward the far less handsome back end, where a near-silent feeding frenzy was underway.
—Curbed, 25 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for silent
Adjective
Is Belinda’s story over, now that she’s scored a big payout from Greg for staying silent?
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 9 Apr. 2025
Before Denzel’s commanding presence or Viola’s gut-wrenching monologues, there was Sam Lucas, the first Black actor to play Uncle Tom in a 1914 silent film.
—Essence, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
The Meahers, who own much of the land around Africatown, remain conspicuously off-screen and silent.
—Vulture, 24 Jan. 2023
So the various greenhouses and whatnots were familiar to Martha-content enthusiasts as the vans quickly took us past the beautiful part of her property toward the far less handsome back end, where a near-silent feeding frenzy was underway.
—Curbed, 25 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for silent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silent
Adjective
-
There was an overlapping interest in language; despite being neither deaf nor mute, Wong learned and practiced American Sign Language.—
Max Lakin,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Snow White’s empathetic friendship with the apparently mute Dopey works like a charm, which compensates for the general comic unfunniness of the dwarfs chaos.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Without trust, teams experience: • Communication Breakdowns: Team members become reserved and hesitant to provide feedback or voice concerns.—
Dr. Jennifer Bryant,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
At the start of episode 8, Cara, a reserved 29-year-old In-N-Out worker, had the cash in her box, while her bestie Samantha, a 41-year-old cop pretending to be a stay-at-home mom, had a clue that the secret millionaire was someone with two sisters.—
Jillian Sederholm,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In helicopter video taken by Air Maui Helicopter Tours in Lahaina and posted online the people aboard are largely speechless.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC News,
10 Aug. 2023
-
Because his work, as is often the case, leaves us almost speechless.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
-
Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
-
Today By Paulina Berges Nestled within Okazaki on a quiet residential road, Shinsho-an feels more like a private home than a hotel.—
Christina Liao,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
-
And in a culture that often asks women to go faster, do more, and present themselves perfectly, the act of cooking something small and lovely—just because—is its own quiet form of resistance.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This means there are no story connections between any of the shorts, beyond the general overlapping of genre and theme.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Larocca kept things simple in a black T-shirt, white shorts and his own pair of dark shades.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The wooden floors feature graphic patterns, while bold wallpaper sets the tone in the kitchen, and the bedroom is outfitted in calming, muted tones.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Wall Street is headed for a muted open this morning after back-to-back advances for the S&P 500.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Simmons' initial reaction to the insult was a bit more restrained than his typical unfiltered comments.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
This year, the prestigious but far more restrained perpetual calendar was the complication of choice.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silent. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share