Synonyms of silence

silence 1 of 2

noun

ˈsī-lən(t)s 

1

as in stillness

incapacity for or restraint from speaking

the violinist expects complete silence from the audience during his concerts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stillness
• speechlessness
• muteness
• voicelessness
• inarticulateness
• reticence
• reserve
• taciturnity
• inarticulacy
• reticency

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• speaking
• communication
• talking
• eloquence
• fluency
• volubility
• loquacity
• talkativeness
• garrulousness
• loquaciousness
• verbosity
• wordiness
• chattiness
• talkiness
• windiness
• verboseness

2

as in quiet

the near or complete absence of sound

the silence of the garden was refreshing after the din of the party inside

Synonyms & Similar Words

• quiet
• quietness
• lull
• hush
• stillness
• still
• quietude
• calm
• peace
• tranquility
• peacefulness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• noise
• sound
• chatter
• roar
• clamor
• din
• cacophony
• rattle
• tumult
• hubbub
• unquietness
• racket
• uproar
• blare
• bluster
• clangor
• babel

3

as in obscurity

the quality or state of being mostly or completely unknown

the book eventually vanished into the silence that awaits best sellers whose time has past

Synonyms & Similar Words

• obscurity
• oblivion
• anonymity
• namelessness
• nowhere
• facelessness
• invisibility
• insignificance
• nowheresville
• inconspicuousness
• unpopularity
• invisibleness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• name
• report
• fame
• reputation
• importance
• celebrity
• significance
• character
• notoriety
• mark
• renown
• favor
• note
• popularity
• honor
• repute
• rep
• glory
• greatness
• position
• distinction
• eminence
• prominence
• standing
• recognition
• praise
• preeminence
• acknowledgment
• prestige
• stature
• rank
• adoration
• illustriousness
• acclaim
• cachet
• superstardom
• megastardom
• kudos
• idolization

silence

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to quiet

to stop the noise or speech of

the instructor quickly silenced anyone who tried to interrupt

we need to have a repairman come and silence that door alarm

Synonyms & Similar Words

• quiet
• shush
• hush
• mute
• dumb
• settle
• still
• extinguish
• shut up
• quell
• quieten
• squelch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stir
• agitate

2

as in to suppress

to put a stop to (something) by the use of force

brutally silenced all political dissent in the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suppress
• quell
• subdue
• repress
• quash
• crack down (on)
• squelch
• crush
• stifle
• sit on
• destroy
• overcome
• extinguish
• slap down
• squash
• put down
• clamp down (on)
• snuff (out)
• desolate
• throttle
• ruin
• demolish
• quench
• put out
• obliterate
• wipe out
• smother
• annihilate
• waste
• decimate
• wreck
• dominate
• strangle
• overwhelm
• subjugate
• exterminate
• conquer
• smash
• vanquish
• devastate
• rub out
• douse
• overpower
• nuke

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• aid
• help
• support
• assist
• back
• stir
• provoke
• forward
• abet
• encourage
• prop up
• promote
• further
• advance
• incite
• foster
• cultivate
• whip (up)
• nurture
• foment
• instigate
• nourish

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of silence

Noun

McConnell did not break his silence about the absence until nearly a month after his fall, though his office had shared minor updates about his hospitalization before then. — Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026

Both Yoon and Hoke also structure their works with staccato-like page breaks—a decision that cleverly evokes spans of creaturely silence. — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Verb

Emily Moreno and her legal team moved to dismiss Miller’s lawsuit based on a new Ohio law that protects citizens from lawsuits designed to silence free speech on matters of public concern. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2026

Normal mice were drawn to the scents—but not mice whose granule cells had been silenced by optical fibers that the researchers implanted in the animals’ brains to switch these cells on and off. — Tom Metcalfe, Scientific American, 29 July 2026