The complete absence of sound or noise; a state of quiet. noun
The silence in the library was only broken by the sound of turning pages.
After the storm, there was an eerie silence that enveloped the town.
A period of time without speech or noise. noun
There was an awkward silence after he made the controversial statement.
The silence during the meditation session was calming.
The state of not speaking or communicating; muteness. noun
Her silence on the matter was taken as a sign of agreement.
He maintained his silence despite the pressure to speak.
To make someone or something stop making noise or speaking. verb
The teacher silenced the class with a stern look.
He silenced the alarm with a press of a button.
To suppress or prevent the expression of something, such as an opinion or information. verb
The government attempted to silence dissent by controlling the media.
Critics were silenced by the overwhelming success of the project.