silence
gb/sˈaɪləns/ us/sˈaɪləns/
A2
Inglese
~ 1700
Accezioni
0 accezioni
Sostantivo
A2
state
1
Complete lack of sound
When there is no sound at all.
Schema d'uso:
in [silence]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse 'silence' (total absence of sound) with 'quiet' (low level of sound).
Sinonimi
quiet (Suggests low noise rather than total absence of sound.)
Contrari
noise (Refers to unwanted or loud sounds, opposite of silence.)
Collocazioni
complete silence
|dead silence
|break the silence
|moment of silence
|absolute silence
Temi
daily life
|environment
|emotions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi per chi studia
- 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.
Sostantivo
B1
state
2
Not speaking or responding
When someone does not speak or answer.
Schema d'uso:
[someone]'s silence on [topic]
Errore comune:
Learners may try to use 'silence' as a verb here without proper form, e.g., 'He silenced' instead of 'He stayed silent'.
Sinonimi
reticence (More formal term for reluctance to speak.)
Contrari
speech (Refers to verbal expression, opposite of not speaking.)
Collocazioni
maintain silence
|prolonged silence
|his silence on the matter
|silence from the audience
Temi
communication
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi per chi studia
- 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.
Schema d'uso:
to silence [someone/something]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse with 'mute' in technology contexts; 'mute' is more specific to audio devices.
Sinonimi
quieten (Less common in American English; softer implication.)
Contrari
amplify (Increase volume or sound, opposite of silencing.)
Collocazioni
silence the crowd
|silence the alarm
|silence critics
Temi
communication
|control
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- The teacher silenced the noisy class with one look.
- He silenced the alarm by pressing a button.
- The government tried to silence its critics.
Esempi per chi studia
- 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.
Schema d'uso:
to silence [opposition/critics/dissent]
Errore comune:
Learners may mistake this for only physical quieting, but it is about stopping expression too.
Sinonimi
suppress (Broader meaning including stopping actions, not just speech.)
Contrari
encourage (Promote free expression, opposite of silencing speech.)
Collocazioni
silence dissent
|silence opponents
Temi
politics
|communication
|law
Esempi
- The regime tried to silence journalists who reported on corruption.
- They used threats to silence witnesses.
- The company attempted to silence complaints from workers.
Esempi per chi studia
- The police silenced the protest.
- They silenced the reporter.
- He tried to silence her opinion.
Grammatica
Forma base
silence
IPA
GB/sˈaɪləns/
US/sˈaɪləns/
Sillabe e accento
si - lence (2 sillabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (si)
Forme flesse
Noun
- Base: silence
- Plural: silence, silences
Verb
- Base: silence
- 3rd Person Singular: silences
- Present Participle: silencing
- Past: silenced
Famiglia di parole
Espressioni
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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.
Esempi
- 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.