1
as in mute
deliberately refraining from speech
the suddenly silent child had to be prompted to say hello
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of silent
Bhanu Chopra, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Oh, and there’s a third child in the house: a silent boy named Oliver.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 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
The watch features a silent black screen that activates with a simple touch, providing basic information such as GMT, split-seconds chronograph, and a perpetual calendar.
—Bhanu Chopra, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Oh, and there’s a third child in the house: a silent boy named Oliver.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 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
-
To remind us that behind every mute button is a person.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
Please check back again soon for the recorded video. LIVE VIDEO TO BEGIN AFTER AD Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% Use up and down arrows to change volume, and spacebar or enter to toggle mute.—
Tyler Shane,
Wired News,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
Sprinkle tops evenly with reserved sugar-flour mixture (about 1 1/2 teaspoons each).—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
28 May 2025
-
My ticket was for travel with up to six others in a reserved couchette cabin.—
Carlton Reid,
Forbes.com,
28 May 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
-
The drama division had been relatively quiet for a period but suddenly found its stride in the past year with a string of buzzy commissions that will now mostly air under new leadership.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 June 2025
-
The home of about 400 year-round residents, who include fishermen and lobstermen, it’s long been a haven for those seeking peace, quiet and an escape from the heat, a world away from Portland.—
Everett Potter,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Anderson’s Academy Award-winning short based on the 1977 Roald Dahl short story of the same name, feels like a children’s pop-up book come to life.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
-
The photos showed the dad wearing a gray tee with black shorts.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
In past decades, the impact of the deficit was more muted, as relatively small amounts of additional funding were needed to keep the government functional.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
-
Clad in heavy end-grain cedar blocks, sandblasted to a muted and almost rocklike finish, the house disappears into its landscape of trees.—
Caroline Roux,
Architectural Digest,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
The company expects ongoing cautious consumer behavior amid persistent inflation, leading to restrained discretionary spending, especially on high-ticket products.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
Wirtz, especially, can look awkward in Julian Nagelsmann’s team, and is used in a comparatively restrained way.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silent. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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