silent
/ˈsaɪ̯lənt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.45 in modern English
6
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.
adj
adj
Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent.
adj
Having no effect; not operating; inefficient.
adj
With the sound turned off; usually on silent or in silent mode.
adj
Without audio capability.
Example Sentences
- "How silent is this town!"
- "What was formerly performed by fleets and armies, by invasions, sieges, and battles, has been of late accomplished by more silent methods."
- "The voice of the auctioneer is slow and low […]; after a pause, which seems no silenter than the rest of the transaction, he ceases to repeat the bids, and his fish, in the measure of a bushel or so, have gone for a matter of three shillings."
- "Ulysses, adds he, was the most eloquent and most silent of men."
- "This new-created world, whereof in hell / Fame is not silent."
- "Tothero is silent before replying. His great strength is in these silences; he has the disciplinarian's trick of waiting a long moment while his words gather weight."
Etymology
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: silēns, *seyl-
Usage
Inflected Forms
silenter (comparative)
more silent (comparative)
silentest (superlative)
most silent (superlative)
scilent (alternative, hypercorrect)
silents (plural)