silence
gb/sˈaɪləns/ us/sˈaɪləns/
A2
English
~ 1700
csend, hallgatás, elhallgattat, lenémít, elfojt, hallgatásra kényszerít
NOUN
A2
1
csend
A1
Usage pattern:
in [silence]
The silence in the empty house was unsettling.
Nyugtalanító volt a csend az üres házban.
After the explosion, there was a moment of complete silence.
A robbanás után egy pillanatnyi teljes csend következett.
We sat in silence, listening to the birds outside.
The forest was filled with an eerie silence.
She enjoyed the early morning silence before the city woke up.
Learner examples
The room was in silence.
Csend volt a szobában.
We walked in silence.
Csendben sétáltunk.
There was silence after the song.
He sat in silence.
The park was full of silence.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'silence' (total absence of sound) with 'quiet' (low level of sound).
Meaning
Complete lack of sound
Collocations
complete silence
|dead silence
|break the silence
|moment of silence
|absolute silence
Synonyms
quiet (Suggests low noise rather than total absence of sound.)
Antonyms
noise (Refers to unwanted or loud sounds, opposite of silence.)
Themes
daily life
|environment
|emotions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
When there is no sound at all.
A state in which no sound is made or heard.
NOUN
B1
2
hallgatás
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s silence on [topic]
His silence during the meeting was unusual.
Szokatlan volt a hallgatása az értekezleten.
The politician's silence on the issue raised questions.
A politikus hallgatása az ügyben kérdéseket vetett fel.
She met his accusations with complete silence.
There was a long silence before he answered.
Learner examples
He kept silence in class.
Csendben maradt az órán.
Her silence made me worried.
Aggasztott a hallgatása.
There was silence after my question.
He answered my smile with silence.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use 'silence' as a verb here without proper form, e.g., 'He silenced' instead of 'He stayed silent'.
Meaning
Not speaking or responding
Collocations
maintain silence
|prolonged silence
|his silence on the matter
|silence from the audience
Synonyms
reticence (More formal term for reluctance to speak.)
Antonyms
speech (Refers to verbal expression, opposite of not speaking.)
Themes
communication
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
When someone does not speak or answer.
The act of not speaking or making a verbal response, often deliberately.
VERB
B1
3
elhallgattat
B2
lenémít
B1
Usage pattern:
to silence [someone/something]
The teacher silenced the noisy class with one look.
A tanár egyetlen pillantással elhallgattatta a zajos osztályt.
He silenced the alarm by pressing a button.
Egy gomb megnyomásával elhallgattatta a riasztót.
The government tried to silence its critics.
Learner examples
She silenced the baby with milk.
Tejjel elhallgattatta a babát.
I silenced my phone before the movie.
A film előtt lenémítottam a telefonomat.
He silenced the dog with a treat.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse with 'mute' in technology contexts; 'mute' is more specific to audio devices.
Meaning
Cause to stop making noise
Collocations
silence the crowd
|silence the alarm
|silence critics
Synonyms
quieten (Less common in American English; softer implication.)
Antonyms
amplify (Increase volume or sound, opposite of silencing.)
Themes
communication
|control
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make someone or something be quiet.
To cause someone or something to stop making sound.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to silence [opposition/critics/dissent]
The regime tried to silence journalists who reported on corruption.
A rezsim megpróbálta elhallgattatni azokat az újságírókat, akik a korrupcióról tudósítottak.
They used threats to silence witnesses.
Fenyegetésekkel kényszerítették hallgatásra a tanúkat.
The company attempted to silence complaints from workers.
Learner examples
The police silenced the protest.
A rendőrség elfojtotta a tiltakozást.
They silenced the reporter.
Elhallgattatták a riportert.
He tried to silence her opinion.
Common mistake:
Learners may mistake this for only physical quieting, but it is about stopping expression too.
Meaning
Stop someone from speaking out
Collocations
silence dissent
|silence opponents
Synonyms
suppress (Broader meaning including stopping actions, not just speech.)
Antonyms
encourage (Promote free expression, opposite of silencing speech.)
Themes
politics
|communication
|law
Definition
To stop someone from saying what they think.
To prevent a person or group from expressing opinions or information.
Grammar
Dictionary form
silence
IPA
GB/sˈaɪləns/
US/sˈaɪləns/
Syllables & stress
si - lence (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (si)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: silence
- Plural: silence, silences
Verb
- Base: silence
- 3rd Person Singular: silences
- Present Participle: silencing
- Past: silenced
Word family
Expressions
break the silence
1/bɹˈeɪk ðə sˈaɪləns/
fixed phrase
Speak after quietness
To say something after a time when no one was speaking or when it was very quiet.
Examples
- She broke the silence with a laugh.
- No one wanted to break the silence.
dead silence
1/dˈɛd sˈaɪləns/
fixed phrase
Total quietness with no sound at all
A situation when there is no sound at all.
Examples
- There was dead silence after his comment.
- The room fell into dead silence.
keep silent
1/kˈip sˈaɪlənt/
fixed phrase
Not say anything
To not say anything about something.
Examples
- She decided to keep silent during the argument.
- He kept silent about the surprise party.
moment of silence
1/mˈoʊmənt əv sˈaɪləns/
fixed phrase
Short quiet time for respect or remembrance
A short time when people are quiet to show respect for someone who has died or for an important event.
Examples
- We observed a moment of silence for the victims.
- The ceremony began with a moment of silence.
silence is golden
1/sˈaɪləns ˈɪz ɡˈoʊldən/
idiom
Sometimes it's best not to talk
It is often better to say nothing than to speak.
Examples
- I wanted to argue, but remembered that silence is golden.
- When emotions run high, silence is golden.
- In some situations, silence is golden.
- He wanted to argue, but remembered that silence is golden.