# silence

/ˈsaɪɫəns/ (US) · /sˈaɪləns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/silence
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. absence of sound

noun · CEFR B1

a total lack of noise or sound.

For teachers: the complete absence of audible sound or noise.

- The deep silence of the forest was only broken by a single bird.
- An uncomfortable silence settled over the room after the director announced the unexpected budget cuts.

### 2. not speaking

noun · CEFR B2

the state of not talking or refusing to give information.

For teachers: the state of refraining from speech or communication, often deliberate.

- Her silence on the matter made her friends think she was angry.
- The prisoner maintained his silence throughout the interrogation, refusing to implicate any of his former associates.

### 3. to make quiet

verb · CEFR B2

to make someone or something stop making noise.

For teachers: to cause a person or object to become silent; to mute an acoustic source.

- He silenced his phone before the movie started.
- The librarian silenced the rowdy group of students with a single stern look from across the reading room.

### 4. to suppress

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to stop people from expressing their opinions or criticisms.

For teachers: to suppress or prohibit the expression of ideas, criticism, or dissent.

- The government tried to silence the protesters by closing the newspapers.
- The corporation attempted to silence the whistleblower through a series of aggressive legal threats and non-disclosure agreements.

## Examples

- The teacher waited for silence before starting the lesson.
- After the heated argument, a heavy silence filled the room as neither side wanted to apologize first.
- The profound silence of the library was interrupted only by the occasional rustle of turning pages and the distant hum of the ventilation system.

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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.