silence

When there’s silence, something or someone is quiet. The following sentences use "silence" as a noun:

• Silence in a classroom helps students concentrate when taking a test.
• David couldn’t stand the silence of his apartment, so he turned on the TV.
• The silence of the night was broken by the sound of an owl.
• The people who worked at the church asked visitors for silence during the service.
• A library is a place where silence is the norm.
• The silence was deafening. (This is kind of an expression. Too much silence might be disturbing.)

These sentences use "silence" as a verb:

• Visitors to the church were asked to silence their cell phones.
• Critics of the mass transit plan were silenced once it was obvious that it reduced costs.

The adjective form of this word is "silent."

• Everyone was silent when it was learned that a classmate had passed away.
• The children were asked to be silent during the performance.
• Please be silent during the ceremony.

The adverb is "silently."

• A snake moved silently in the grass as it approached its prey. (prey = an animal for food)
• Mourners passed by the casket silently as they paid their last respects to the dead president.

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This page was first published on March 7, 2013. It was updated on February 19, 2017.