silent

UK: /ˈsaɪlənt/ US: /ˈsaɪlənt/ ,(sī′lənt)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

si•lent /ˈsaɪlənt/   adj. 

1. of or relating to silence:
   the silent desert.
2. not speaking;
   not wishing to speak:
   silent observers.
3. speechless;
   mute:
   silent from birth.
4. done in the absence of speech or sound:
   silent prayers.
5. unspoken;
   done without saying because it is understood:
   a silent assent.
6. omitting mention of something, as in a narrative:
   The records are silent about his crime.
7. Linguistics (of a letter) not pronounced, as the b in
   doubt.
8. Show Business (of a film) not having a soundtrack:
   the old silent movies.

n. [countable]

9. Usually, silents. [plural* the + ~] silent films.

si•lent•ly, adv.: 

She sat silently in the corner.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

si•lent  (sī′lənt), adj. 

1. making no sound;
   quiet;
   still:
   a silent motor.
2. refraining from speech.
3. speechless;
   mute.
4. not inclined to speak;
   taciturn;
   reticent.
5. characterized by absence of speech or sound:
   a silent prayer.
6. unspoken;
   tacit:
   a silent assent.
7. omitting mention of something, as in a narrative:
   The records are silent about this crime.
8. inactive or quiescent, as a volcano.
9. not sounded or pronounced:
   The "b'' in "doubt'' is a silent letter.
10. Show Business [Motion Pictures.] not having spoken dialogue or a soundtrack.
11. Medicine producing no symptoms:
    silent gallstones.

n. 

12. Usually, silents. silent films.

• Latin silent- (stem of silēns), present participle of silēre to be quiet; see -ent
• 1555–65

si′lent•ly, adv. 
si′lent•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. soundless. See still ¹.
• 8. dormant.

Antonyms

• 1. noisy.
• 4. talkative.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

silent / ˈsaɪlənt/ adjective

1. characterized by an absence or near absence of noise or sound: a silent house
2. tending to speak very little or not at all
3. unable to speak
4. failing to speak, communicate, etc, when expected: the witness chose to remain silent
5. not spoken or expressed
6. (of a letter) used in the conventional orthography of a word but no longer pronounced in that word: the 'k' in 'know' is silent
7. denoting a film that has no accompanying soundtrack, esp one made before 1927, when such soundtracks were developed

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin silēns, from silēre to be quiet

ˈsilently adverb

ˈsilentness noun