1
as in speechless
deliberately refraining from speech
the suddenly silent child had to be prompted to say hello
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of silent
Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
On a tour of the buildings, for instance, Ganjehei shows off a furnace where the silent film legend used to burn outtakes, after examining dailies in his screening room right across the front entrance.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
As American filmmaking was transitioning from silents to sound in the late 1920s, the industry itself was growing more conservative.
—Hazlitt, 6 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for silent
Adjective
After staying silent all weekend about Maduro’s capture and arrest, DeSantis on Monday acknowledged the operation’s success.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
On a tour of the buildings, for instance, Ganjehei shows off a furnace where the silent film legend used to burn outtakes, after examining dailies in his screening room right across the front entrance.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
Noun
Chaplin’s run of silents continued into the talkie era.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
As American filmmaking was transitioning from silents to sound in the late 1920s, the industry itself was growing more conservative.
—Hazlitt, 6 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for silent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silent
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
-
Free, or $32 for a reserved seat and book copy.—
La Jolla Light,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Stir in the reserved sausage, beans and turnip greens.—
Erin Merhar,
Southern Living,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2018, his first wordless picture book, Wolf in the Snow, was awarded the Caldecott Medal, following a Boston Globe-Horn Book honor award in 2017.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Director Andrew Stanton knows how to speak volumes with silence, and a good portion of the movie is wordless, or communicated with beeps and other electronic sounds.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Flanagan stars as Betty, a proud but emotionally restrained mother struggling with her daughter’s return, while Crowley plays Áine’s father Seamus.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
2 Jan. 2026
-
The year 2025 saw high levels of deadly violence around the world, as conflicts grew less restrained, with civilians increasingly victims of attacks by governments and non-state actors alike, according to monitoring data.—
Susannah George,
Washington Post,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Chicago Bears were relatively quiet ahead of the NFL trade deadline.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Hotel Fasano São Paulo Itaim Consistently top-notch, from the beds to the dining, Hotel Fasano exudes quiet luxury.—
Jade Moyano,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
All features and series screened to UK audiences for the first time, including 28 world premieres (7 features, 1 series, 19 shorts, 1 immersive), 11 International Premieres (11 features, 1 short), and 20 European Premieres (12 features, 7 shorts, 1 immersive).—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
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The team self-funded an initial short, which later won a Webby, then used a drop of 10,000 high-fidelity digital collectibles as a crowdfunding mechanism.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Features like undo/redo, mute/unmute, scrolling, and taking screenshots are instantly accessible, significantly speeding up the workflow.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
4 Nov. 2025
-
That mute minute in an otherwise ever-bobbing, ever-shouting crowd (a portion of which camped outside the Spectrum Center) was a testament to Eilish’s ability to hold her own on a stage that — other than the occasional burst of fire and blitzing lights — had little frill.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
After a brief talk with his stepson Brian (Samuel Bottomley), a taciturn young man with bloodied knuckles, Jem takes off on his motorbike, into a remote but, compared to his dull suburban home, lush and verdant wilderness.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
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Todd's second-ever screen role foretold his future prominence, as the taciturn Sgt.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silent. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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