dead silence
A particularly notable/awkward silence or absence of response.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“When the teacher asked the question, there was dead silence.”
“I told a bad joke at the party, and it was met with dead silence.”
“After the politician finished his controversial speech, the room fell into a heavy, dead silence that lasted for several uncomfortable minutes.”
- 01
beat a dead horse
To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.
- 02
blue wall of silence
Strict secretiveness maintained by the members of a police force with respect to information which might be contrary to their interests, especially information concerning questionable police actions.
- 03
brown bread
[Cockney slang]dead
- 04
come back from the dead
To experience a resurgence after one's productive years are assumed to have ended.
- 05
dead 'n' buried
Contraction of dead and buried.
- 06
dead air
An unintended interruption in a broadcast during which nothing is transmitted: a silent period on radio or a silent period with no picture on television.
- 07
dead and buried
Of an issue, moot, passed, irrelevant, forgotten.
- 08
dead asleep
Sleeping in a deep sleep
Last updated August 10, 2026