Main Entry:

¹si·lent

Pronunciation:

\ˈsī-lənt\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Middle English sylent, from Latin silent-, silens, from present participle of silēre to be silent; akin to Gothic anasilan to cease, grow calm

Date:

15th century

1 a: making no utterance : mute, speechless b: indisposed to speak : not loquacious2: free from sound or noise : still3: performed or borne without utterance : unspoken <silent prayer> <silent grief>4 a: making no mention <history is silent about this person> b: not widely or generally known or appreciated <the silent pressures on a person in public office> c: making no protest or outcry <the silent majority>5: unpronounced <the silent b in doubt>6: not exhibiting the usual signs or symptoms of presence <a silent infection>7 a: made without spoken dialogue <silent movies> b: of or relating to silent movies

— si·lent·ly adverb

— si·lent·ness noun

synonyms silent, taciturn, reticent, reserved, secretive mean showing restraint in speaking. silent implies a habit of saying no more than is needed <the strong, silent type>. taciturn implies a temperamental disinclination to speech and usually connotes unsociability <taciturn villagers>. reticent implies a reluctance to speak out or at length, especially about one's own affairs <was reticent about his plans>. reserved implies reticence and suggests the restraining influence of caution or formality in checking easy informal conversational exchange <greetings were brief, formal, and reserved>. secretive, too, implies reticence but usually carries a suggestion of deviousness and lack of frankness or of an often ostentatious will to conceal <the secretive research and development division>.