silence
gb/sˈaɪləns/ us/sˈaɪləns/
A2
Anglais
~ 1700
Sens
0 sens
Nom
A2
state
1
Complete lack of sound
When there is no sound at all.
Schéma d’usage :
in [silence]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'silence' (total absence of sound) with 'quiet' (low level of sound).
Synonymes
quiet (Suggests low noise rather than total absence of sound.)
Antonymes
noise (Refers to unwanted or loud sounds, opposite of silence.)
Collocations
complete silence
|dead silence
|break the silence
|moment of silence
|absolute silence
Thèmes
daily life
|environment
|emotions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- 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.
Nom
B1
state
2
Not speaking or responding
When someone does not speak or answer.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone]'s silence on [topic]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may try to use 'silence' as a verb here without proper form, e.g., 'He silenced' instead of 'He stayed silent'.
Synonymes
reticence (More formal term for reluctance to speak.)
Antonymes
speech (Refers to verbal expression, opposite of not speaking.)
Collocations
maintain silence
|prolonged silence
|his silence on the matter
|silence from the audience
Thèmes
communication
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He kept silence in class.
- Her silence made me worried.
- There was silence after my question.
- He answered my smile with silence.
Verbe
B1
action
3
Cause to stop making noise
To make someone or something be quiet.
Schéma d’usage :
to silence [someone/something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse with 'mute' in technology contexts; 'mute' is more specific to audio devices.
Synonymes
quieten (Less common in American English; softer implication.)
Antonymes
amplify (Increase volume or sound, opposite of silencing.)
Collocations
silence the crowd
|silence the alarm
|silence critics
Thèmes
communication
|control
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The teacher silenced the noisy class with one look.
- He silenced the alarm by pressing a button.
- The government tried to silence its critics.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She silenced the baby with milk.
- I silenced my phone before the movie.
- He silenced the dog with a treat.
Verbe
B2
action
4
Stop someone from speaking out
To stop someone from saying what they think.
Schéma d’usage :
to silence [opposition/critics/dissent]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may mistake this for only physical quieting, but it is about stopping expression too.
Synonymes
suppress (Broader meaning including stopping actions, not just speech.)
Antonymes
encourage (Promote free expression, opposite of silencing speech.)
Collocations
silence dissent
|silence opponents
Thèmes
politics
|communication
|law
Exemples
- The regime tried to silence journalists who reported on corruption.
- They used threats to silence witnesses.
- The company attempted to silence complaints from workers.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The police silenced the protest.
- They silenced the reporter.
- He tried to silence her opinion.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
silence
API
GB/sˈaɪləns/
US/sˈaɪləns/
Syllabes et accentuation
si - lence (2 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (si)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: silence
- Plural: silence, silences
Verb
- Base: silence
- 3rd Person Singular: silences
- Present Participle: silencing
- Past: silenced
Famille de mots
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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.