- [uncountable]
a complete lack of noise or sound 寂静；无声 Their footsteps echoed in the silence. 他们的脚步声在一片寂静中回荡着。 A scream broke the silence of the night. 一声尖叫划破了寂静的夜晚。 I need absolute silence when I'm working. 我工作时需要绝对的安静。
Extra ExamplesCeleste's voice penetrated the silence. 塞莱斯特的声音打破了沉寂。 She filled the silence with music. 没人说话的时候她就放音乐。 Silence reigned. 一片寂静。 We sat in complete silence, save for the ticking of the clock. 我们静静地坐着，只听见时钟的滴答声。 a silence punctuated only by the occasional sniff from the children 只是偶尔被孩子们吸鼻子的声音打破的寂静 Something was moving in silence along the edge of the woods. 有什么东西在树林边无声无息地移动着。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- lengthy
- long
- prolonged
- …
- moment
- maintain
- break
- interrupt
- …
- come over something
- descend
- fall
- …
- in (the) silence
- two minutes’ silence
- three minutes’ silence
- [countable, uncountable]
a situation when nobody is speaking 沉默；缄默；默不作声 an embarrassed/awkward/uncomfortable silence 尴尬/尴尬/不舒服的沉默 a moment’s stunned silence 一时惊愕得说不出话来 I got used to his long silences. 我已习惯了他半天不说话的样子。 They finished their meal in total silence. 他们默不作声地吃完饭。 She lapsed into silence again. 她又沉默下来。 There was a deafening silence (= one that is very noticeable). 四下里静得刺耳。 a two-minute silence in honour of those who had died 为死去的人默哀两分钟 Her accusations reduced him to silence. 她的指控使他沉默了。 He’s not one to suffer in silence! (= to suffer without telling somebody) 他不是一个默默忍受的人！不告诉别人就受苦 There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. 有一段令人不安的沉默。 They observed a two-minute silence in memory of the children. 他们默哀两分钟以纪念孩子们。
Extra ExamplesA heavy silence lingered in the air. 令人压抑的沉寂弥漫在空气中。 A stunned silence greeted her announcement. 她宣布的事情惊得大家哑口无言。 A sudden silence fell over the room. 整个房间突然静了下来。 He lapsed into a sullen silence. 他陷入了阴郁的沉默。 He thought for a moment, the silence lengthening. 他想了一会儿，又是一阵沉默。 She fell into long, brooding silences. 她默不作声，陷入长久的沉思。 The boys were stunned into silence by this news. 男孩子们听到这消息惊得说不出话来。 The rest of the trip passed in relative silence. 剩下的旅程相对安静地度过了。 There was a moment's silence before she replied. 片刻沉寂后她才作答。 They ate their breakfast in silence. 他们默不作声地吃了早饭。 They walked in companionable silence. 他们融洽地默默走着。 We sat and watched in awed silence as she performed. 她表演的时候，我们充满敬畏地静坐观看。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- lengthy
- long
- prolonged
- …
- moment
- maintain
- break
- interrupt
- …
- come over something
- descend
- fall
- …
- in (the) silence
- two minutes’ silence
- three minutes’ silence
- [uncountable, singular]
a situation in which somebody refuses to talk about something or to answer questions 缄默；缄口不谈；拒绝回答 She broke her public silence in a TV interview. 她接受了一次电视采访，就此结束了她不在公开场合说话的状态。 - silence (on something)
The company's silence on the subject has been taken as an admission of guilt. 公司在这个问题上保持沉默被当作是承认有罪。 the right to silence (= the legal right not to say anything when you are arrested) 沉默权 There is a conspiracy of silence about what is happening (= everyone has agreed not to discuss it). 对于发生的事情，大家一致保持缄默。
Extra ExamplesHe has so far kept a dignified silence on the subject. 到目前为止他对这个话题一直保持有尊严的沉默。 There seems to have been a deliberate silence from the newspapers. 报界似乎故意对此事保持沉默。 a debate to break the silence surrounding domestic violence 打破对家庭暴力缄默的一场辩论 She maintained a stony silence. 她冷冷地一言不发。 I took her silence as a no. 我把她的默不作声当作不同意。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- deafening
- dignified
- deliberate
- …
- keep
- maintain
- take as
- …
- surround
- silence from
- a conspiracy of silence
- a wall of silence
- a vow of silence
- …
- [uncountable]
a situation in which people do not communicate with each other by letter or phone 互相不通音信的情形；无书信（或电话）联系 Extra ExamplesLewis finally broke the long silence between them. 最后刘易斯打破了他们之间长时间的沉默。 The soldier had broken radio silence to contact his aircraft. 士兵打破了无线电静默，发信号给他的飞机。
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French, from Latin silentium, from silere ‘be silent’.
Idioms
a heavy silence/atmosphere
a situation when people do not say anything, but feel embarrassed or uncomfortable 令人尴尬（或不安）的沉默（或气氛）
a pregnant pause/silence
an occasion when nobody speaks, although people are aware that there are feelings or thoughts to express 耐人寻味的停顿；心照不宣的沉默 There was a pregnant pause before she replied. 在她回答之前，有一段意味深长的停顿。
silence is golden
- (saying)
it is often best not to say anything 沉默是金