# dead silence

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/dead-silence
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A particularly notable/awkward silence or absence of response.

## Examples

- 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.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.