1
a
: making no utterance : not speaking or making noise
He was silent for a full minute, as he often is when answering a hard question.—
Nick Seitz
Nick SeitzThey all fell silent, looking rather scared.—J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
b
: tending to speak very little : not loquacious
As a former silent person, part of me gravitates to talkers.—Georgia Brown
Georgia BrownWhen ABC's promos boast the crime unit portrayed here is not "your father's FBI," it's insinuating that dad's FBI agents were balding, nerdy guys or the stereotypical strong, silent types.—Ken Parish Perkins
Ken Parish Perkins2
: free from sound or noise : still
The house was eerily silent.
3
: performed or borne without utterance : unspoken
silent prayer
silent grief
4
a
: making no mention
history is silent about this person
b
: not widely or generally known or appreciated
the silent pressures on a person in public office
c
: making no protest or outcry
the silent majority
5
: unpronounced
the silent b in doubt
6
medical
a(1)
: not exhibiting or producing the usual signs or symptoms of presence
silent urinary tract infections
A "silent stroke" has none of the warning signs of a larger stroke: severe headaches, dizziness, loss of motor skills. Often victims do not realize they have had strokes.—Alisha Berger
Alisha Berger
(2)
: relating to or being an infectious disease or pathogen that spreads undetected within a population
Chlamydia can cause fertility problems for women, but is generally asymptomatic, meaning the infection presents no immediate symptoms, said Dr. James Gaskell, health commissioner for the Athens City-County Health Department. As a result, it spreads quickly in dense populations like college campuses, he said. "It's a silent spreader, if you will," Gaskell said.—Sam Howard
Sam Howard
b
: being, involving, or caused by an asymptomatic or presymptomatic infectious individual
silent spread/transmission of contagious disease
Since a novel coronavirus first made its presence known in China, public health officials around the world have had one fervent hope: That people who are infected but not sick would pass the virus to others only rarely. That would give these silent spreaders no more than a bit part in driving a global outbreak. That hope is in danger of being dashed.—Melissa Healy
Melissa Healy7
a
: made without spoken dialogue
silent movies
b
: of or relating to silent movies
silently
adverb
silentness
noun
: a motion picture made without spoken dialogue
—usually used in plural
Synonyms
Examples of silent in a Sentence
Adjective
She was silent for a few minutes as she thought about how to answer him.
The crowd fell silent as the horrible news was read aloud.
My father was a very silent man.
He was the strong, silent type.
He said he would call me, but the phone was silent all day.
A long, silent pause followed her reply.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sophie Tanno, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
Importantly, this decision did not remove all agency deference just deference where the statute is either silent or ambiguous.
—Joshua D. Smeltzer, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Boles started his Hollywood career in the silents, but became a big star in the talkies.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for silent 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
The Kremlin remained silent on Assad’s whereabouts Monday, refusing to comment publicly on Russia’s decision to grant him asylum.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
Importantly, this decision did not remove all agency deference just deference where the statute is either silent or ambiguous.
—Joshua D. Smeltzer, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
Meanwhile the Sierra Madre Playhouse, built for the silents, has become the L.A. area’s newest performing arts center, where Wild Up will be in residence.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Boles started his Hollywood career in the silents, but became a big star in the talkies.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for silent
Dictionary Entries Near silent
Cite this Entry
“Silent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silent. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
silent
adjective
si·lent
ˈsī-lənt 
1
: not exhibiting or producing the usual signs or symptoms of presence
a silent urinary tract infection
silent gallstones
silent ischemia
2
: relating to or being an infectious disease or pathogen that spreads undetected within a population
Chlamydia can cause fertility problems for women, but is generally asymptomatic, meaning the infection presents no immediate symptoms, said Dr. James Gaskell, health commissioner for the Athens City-County Health Department. As a result, it spreads quickly in dense populations like college campuses, he said. "It's a silent spreader, if you will, Gaskell said.—Sam Howard
Sam Howard3
: being, involving, or caused by an asymptomatic or presymptomatic infectious individual
silent spread/transmission of infectious disease
silent spreaders of contagious disease
4
: yielding no detectable response to stimulation
—used especially of an association area of the brain
silent cortex
5
: having no detectable function or effect
silent DNA
silent genes
silently
adverb
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