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Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th
silence
si·lence [silence silences silenced silencing] noun, verb, exclamation BrE [ˈsaɪləns] NAmE [ˈsaɪləns]
noun
1. uncountable a complete lack of noise or sound
Syn: ↑quiet
• Their footsteps echoed in the silence.
• A scream broke the silence of the night.
•I need absolute silence when I'm working.
2. countable, uncountable a situation when nobody is speaking
•an embarrassed/awkward silence
•a moment's stunned silence
• I got used to his long silences.
• They finished their meal in total silence.
•She lapsed into silence again.
•There was a deafening silence (= one that is very noticeable).
•a two-minute silence in honour of those who had died
•Her accusations reduced him to silence.
•He's not one to suffer in silence! (= to suffer without telling sb)
3. uncountable, singular a situation in which sb refuses to talk about sth or to answer questions
•She broke her public silence in a TV interview.
•~ (on sth) The company's silence on the subject has been taken as an admission of guilt.
•the right to silence (= the legal right not to say anything when you are arrested)
•There is a conspiracy of silence about what is happening (= everyone has agreed not to discuss it).
4. uncountable a situation in which people do not communicate with each other by letter or telephone
•The phone call came after months of silence.
more at a heavy silence/atmosphere at ↑heavy adj., a pregnant pause/silence at ↑pregnant
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French, from Latin silentium, from silere ‘be silent’.
Thesaurus:
silence noun U
•A cry broke the silence of the night.
peace • • quiet • • hush • • calm • |especially BrE, written tranquillity • |AmE usually tranquility •
Opp: noise
in silence/peace/tranquillity
absolute/total silence/peace/quiet/calm/tranquillity
break the silence/peace/quiet/calm
Example Bank:
•A heavy silence lingered in the air.
•A minute's silence for the victims will be observed.
•A stunned silence greeted her announcement.
•A sudden silence fell over the room.
•An awkward silence followed.
•Celeste's voice penetrated the silence.
•Countries throughout Europe held a three minutes' silence.
•He has so far kept a dignified silence on the subject.
•He lapsed into a sullen silence.
•He thought for a moment, the silence lengthening.
•Her comments were met with a stunned silence.
•Her question was met with an uneasy silence.
•I took her silence as a no.
•Lewis finally broke the long silence between them.
•She fell into long, brooding silences.
•She filled the silence with music.
•She has broken her vow of silence on the issue.
•She maintained a stony silence.
•Silence reigned.
•The boys were stunned into silence by this news.
•The government's only response has been a deafening silence.
•The rest of the trip passed in relative silence.
•The soldier had broken radio silence to contact his aircraft.
•There is a conspiracy of silence about what is happening.
•There seems to have been a deliberate silence from the newspapers.
•There was a moment's silence before she replied.
•They ate their breakfast in silence.
•They observed two minutes' silence to remember the war dead.
•They walked in companionable silence.
•We sat and watched in awed silence as she performed.
•We sat in complete silence, save for the ticking of the clock.
•a debate to break the silence surrounding domestic violence
•a silence punctuated only by the occasional sniff from the children
•Something was moving in silence along the edge of the woods.
Idiom: ↑silence is golden
verb
1. ~ sb/sth to make sb/sth stop speaking or making a noise
•She silenced him with a glare.
•Our bombs silenced the enemy's guns (= they destroyed them).
2. ~ sb/sth to make sb stop expressing opinions that are opposed to yours
•All protest had been silenced.
•Her recent achievements have silenced her critics.
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French, from Latin silentium, from silere ‘be silent’.
Example Bank:
•A shot to the head silenced him forever.
•Criticism has now been effectively silenced.
•Even these improvements to the service failed to silence a grumbling chorus of complaints.
•Her scream was abruptly silenced.
•Our bombs silenced the enemy's guns.
exclamation (formal)used to tell people to be quiet
• Silence in court!
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French, from Latin silentium, from silere ‘be silent’.
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