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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
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
Noun
The popular Silent Book Club is seeing people connect through silent reading, while an ever-growing list of celebrity book clubs and even book club podcasts invite readers to find community from anywhere in the world. Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 24 June 2025 But a silent threat was brewing—one that went unnoticed for over a decade. Susan Horava, Health, 24 June 2025 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
  • And after all of that: a reserved viewing space on Pier 17.
    Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • Eastern Conference executive No. 2: More quiet, on the reserved side.
    David Aldridge, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • The cowboy, that paragon of rugged individualism, stands for stoicism and a wordless sweaty brotherhood.
    Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 June 2025
  • The girl’s hope that she might not be harmed, her wordless appeal to him, was answered, showing the depth of the expectation of goodness and the naturalness of the response.
    Sarah Beckwith, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
Adjective
  • His cooking balances the delicate, restrained flavors of traditional kaiseki with the richer, more robust flavors he’s explored in Western kitchens.
    Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • Chief among them is that Iran's retaliatory strike turned out to be more restrained than many had feared.
    , CNBC, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Without it, people go quiet, engagement drops and growth stalls.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • The quiet horror is that even 20 years later, the fence has not disappeared.
    Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Its madras inventory today includes these seven-inch shorts in a slightly more subdued and earthy pattern and color.
    Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 23 June 2025
  • If the selling slows down, shorts will start covering, and some intrepid longs will wade in.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Please check back again soon for the recorded video. LIVE VIDEO TO BEGIN AFTER AD Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% Use up and down arrows to change volume, and spacebar or enter to toggle mute.
    Dhruv Mehrotra, Wired News, 25 June 2025
  • Perhaps there was a constructive thought behind the conscious decision to mute clubhouse reminders of that decade-old dynastic run.
    Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • After sharing a meal together, Stahelski, who’s now helmed four chapters involving Keanu Reeves’ taciturn assassin, quickly endorsed Wiseman’s hiring to Lionsgate and producing partner, Thunder Road.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2025
  • And Katie, a taciturn woman in her 30s who has run away from her former life following a humiliating breakup, is played with sharp-eyed wariness and a fiery edge by Kate Rose Reynolds.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Silent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silent. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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