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
Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 May 2026
His voice fell across a silent rink as Lemieux and Bourne twirled in the spotlight.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile the Sierra Madre Playhouse, built for the silents, has become the L.A. area’s newest performing arts center, where Wild Up will be in residence.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for silent
Adjective
One of the other creatures parked in Clark’s Backrooms nest is a diminutive entity in velvety red that strongly recalls a still, silent version of the Little Man From Another Place, a signature character from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
—Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 May 2026
His voice fell across a silent rink as Lemieux and Bourne twirled in the spotlight.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Noun
From there, the offense went radio silent.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile the Sierra Madre Playhouse, built for the silents, has become the L.A. area’s newest performing arts center, where Wild Up will be in residence.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for silent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silent
Adjective
-
His friends, from brother Luigi (Charlie Day) to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) veer in a similar direction, somehow coming across less fully formed and three-dimensional than their nearly speechless inspirations from Nintendo‘s flagship franchise.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
A lot of the new arrivals, such as Isak, Mamardashvili and Wirtz, are more quiet and reserved.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Reduce heat to medium; pour in reserved sauce and cook, stirring often, until liquid is mostly evaporated and spices have started to form a light crust around tofu, about 2 minutes.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The story’s ending hinges on a small, almost wordless exchange.—
Sabrina Jaszi,
The Dial,
28 May 2026
-
Looking at them fills her with a wordless unease.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Flowering woody shrubs that bloom on new wood tolerate or thrive on fairly aggressive pruning, while those that bloom on old wood require more careful, restrained pruning.—
Marie Iannotti,
The Spruce,
29 May 2026
-
Even out of context, the first meeting at the train station of Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard is ineffably moving, a model of restrained desire.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
This is quiet luxury in hotel form.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
And yet art-world institutions—including major museums, schools, commercial galleries, and publishing outlets—have mostly avoided the fawning capitulation of universities and Democrats, simply going quiet in the hope of escaping notice for the next three years.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The 24-minute short premiered at the Mystic Film Festival in 2025 and has since been seen at festivals in Italy, Slovakia, Canada and elsewhere.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
2 June 2026
-
The documentary short is produced by Ryan Biegel, Vicky Liu, and Holly Siegel.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Kimiko uttered one word during the season five finale, which signified a return to form for her character, who was mute throughout the first four installments of the series.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2026
-
In Indian Princesses, Rodriguez and her director, Miranda Cornell, score silences and moments of mute, physicalized frustration with just as much precision and pathos as the play’s speech, often with more.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
The New York Knicks’ president, a stout, taciturn man, surly about the mouth, who spurns engagement with the media but whose competence no contemporary Knicks follower can gainsay, stands in a crowd, surrounded by cheering fans.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
-
The club took him in and allowed the shy, taciturn boy to develop into one of Italian football’s most celebrated leaders.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Silent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silent. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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