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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word silent distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of silent are reserved, reticent, secretive, and taciturn. While all these words mean "showing restraint in speaking," silent implies a habit of saying no more than is needed.

the strong, silent type

Where would reserved be a reasonable alternative to silent?

Although the words reserved and silent have much in common, reserved implies reticence and suggests the restraining influence of caution or formality in checking easy informal conversational exchange.

greetings were brief, formal, and reserved

When is reticent a more appropriate choice than silent?

The words reticent and silent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reticent implies a reluctance to speak out or at length, especially about one's own affairs.

was reticent about his plans

When might secretive be a better fit than silent?

In some situations, the words secretive and silent are roughly equivalent. However, 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

When can taciturn be used instead of silent?

The words taciturn and silent can be used in similar contexts, but taciturn implies a temperamental disinclination to speech and usually connotes unsociability.

taciturn villagers

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
Adjective
But Linklater introduces each player with his or her name neatly emblazoned at the bottom of the screen, similar to the way characters (and often the actors playing them) used to be identified in silent movies, so audiences could get their bearings quickly. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 May 2025 In fact, the gang went silent and negotiations broke down. Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 16 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
  • The online donations poured in alongside notes expressing far-right and racist sympathies, prompting a decision to mute comments by the Christian crowdfunding service hosting the campaign, which has been used to raise money for Daniel Penny, Luigi Mangione and Kyle Rittenhouse.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 May 2025
  • Doctors had braced Gianna's parents for the possibility that their daughter might be blind, mute or unable to swallow as the tumor pressed down on the vital nerves of her brain stem.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Economists and geopolitical experts, however, are more reserved in their appraisal of the agreement.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
  • Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade and toss to coat.
    Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 29 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
  • The saw-whets, perhaps intimidated by the larger owl, had gone quiet.
    Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 10 May 2025
  • As economic uncertainties mount and corporate stability feels increasingly tenuous, a quiet revolution is taking place among millennials and Gen Z: the rise of DIY businesses.
    Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • Levi’s Mid-Length Shorts Nothing says summer in the South like a pair of denim shorts.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 18 May 2025
  • Mendonça crams the film with vivid time-capsule details: vintage American cars and vinyl records, token-hungry phone booths and old-school printing presses, obscenely tight shorts and sweltering heat.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Advertisement Advertisement But hopes for a breakthrough this weekend with the Chinese remain muted.
    Nik Popli, Time, 9 May 2025
  • Over the decades, observance of V-E Day in the West has assumed a more muted, solemn tone.
    Noah Rothman, National Review, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • In 2024, China's approach to U.S. tariffs remained relatively restrained.
    Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
  • Maybe this will be a rare case of restrained longing.
    Laura Bradley, Vulture, 9 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Silent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silent. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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