silence

The word “silence” means complete absence of sound. In plain terms, the absence of sound or speech, or the act of stopping someone from making noise or speaking out.

“Silence” is pronounced SEYE-luhns (/ˈsaɪ̯ləns/ in IPA).

Here is “silence” used in a sentence: “The silence of the library was broken by a ringing phone.”

Words with a similar meaning to “silence” include inaudibility, quietness, black noise, crickets, hush and noiselessness.

The opposite of “silence” — its antonyms — are audibility, loudness, vocality, sound and speech.

Depending on how it is used, “silence” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “silence” comes from Latin. From Old French silence, from Latin silentium, from silere ("to be silent").

“Silence” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

Silence is the complete absence of sound, while quiet describes a low, soft level of sound rather than none at all. A library is usually quiet, since there are faint noises, whereas true silence means nothing can be heard. In everyday use, though, people often treat the two as the same.

Almost never in ordinary life. Even in a soundproof anechoic chamber, the quietest place on Earth, people report hearing their own heartbeat, breathing, and blood flow. True, absolute silence, meaning zero sound waves at all, exists mainly in a vacuum such as outer space, where there is no air to carry sound.

The direct opposites are sound and noise, since silence is their total absence. Words like din, racket, and clamour work when you mean loud, disruptive noise specifically. Choosing the right opposite depends on whether you simply mean 'any sound at all' or 'a lot of unpleasant sound.'

Silence often carries meaning of its own. It can signal peace and calm, tension or awkwardness, respect (as in a minute's silence), or a refusal to speak. The phrase 'silence is consent' suggests that saying nothing can imply agreement. Context turns simple quiet into a powerful form of communication.