silence
gb/sˈaɪləns/ us/sˈaɪləns/
A2
Inglés
~ 1700
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
A2
state
1
Complete lack of sound
When there is no sound at all.
Patrón de uso:
in [silence]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'silence' (total absence of sound) with 'quiet' (low level of sound).
Sinónimos
quiet (Suggests low noise rather than total absence of sound.)
Antónimos
noise (Refers to unwanted or loud sounds, opposite of silence.)
Colocaciones
complete silence
|dead silence
|break the silence
|moment of silence
|absolute silence
Temas
daily life
|environment
|emotions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The silence in the empty house was unsettling.
- After the explosion, there was a moment of complete silence.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The room was in silence.
- We walked in silence.
- There was silence after the song.
- He sat in silence.
- The park was full of silence.
Sustantivo
B1
state
2
Not speaking or responding
When someone does not speak or answer.
Patrón de uso:
[someone]'s silence on [topic]
Error frecuente:
Learners may try to use 'silence' as a verb here without proper form, e.g., 'He silenced' instead of 'He stayed silent'.
Sinónimos
reticence (More formal term for reluctance to speak.)
Antónimos
speech (Refers to verbal expression, opposite of not speaking.)
Colocaciones
maintain silence
|prolonged silence
|his silence on the matter
|silence from the audience
Temas
communication
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- His silence during the meeting was unusual.
- The politician's silence on the issue raised questions.
- She met his accusations with complete silence.
- There was a long silence before he answered.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He kept silence in class.
- Her silence made me worried.
- There was silence after my question.
- He answered my smile with silence.
Verbo
B1
action
3
Cause to stop making noise
To make someone or something be quiet.
Patrón de uso:
to silence [someone/something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse with 'mute' in technology contexts; 'mute' is more specific to audio devices.
Sinónimos
quieten (Less common in American English; softer implication.)
Antónimos
amplify (Increase volume or sound, opposite of silencing.)
Colocaciones
silence the crowd
|silence the alarm
|silence critics
Temas
communication
|control
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The teacher silenced the noisy class with one look.
- He silenced the alarm by pressing a button.
- The government tried to silence its critics.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She silenced the baby with milk.
- I silenced my phone before the movie.
- He silenced the dog with a treat.
Verbo
B2
action
4
Stop someone from speaking out
To stop someone from saying what they think.
Patrón de uso:
to silence [opposition/critics/dissent]
Error frecuente:
Learners may mistake this for only physical quieting, but it is about stopping expression too.
Sinónimos
suppress (Broader meaning including stopping actions, not just speech.)
Antónimos
encourage (Promote free expression, opposite of silencing speech.)
Colocaciones
silence dissent
|silence opponents
Temas
politics
|communication
|law
Ejemplos
- The regime tried to silence journalists who reported on corruption.
- They used threats to silence witnesses.
- The company attempted to silence complaints from workers.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The police silenced the protest.
- They silenced the reporter.
- He tried to silence her opinion.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
silence
AFI
GB/sˈaɪləns/
US/sˈaɪləns/
Sílabas y acento
si - lence (2 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (si)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: silence
- Plural: silence, silences
Verb
- Base: silence
- 3rd Person Singular: silences
- Present Participle: silencing
- Past: silenced
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.