silence
verb/ˈsaɪləns/
/ˈsaɪləns/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they silence | /ˈsaɪləns/ /ˈsaɪləns/ |
| he / she / it silences | /ˈsaɪlənsɪz/ /ˈsaɪlənsɪz/ |
| past simple silenced | /ˈsaɪlənst/ /ˈsaɪlənst/ |
| past participle silenced | /ˈsaɪlənst/ /ˈsaɪlənst/ |
| -ing form silencing | /ˈsaɪlənsɪŋ/ /ˈsaɪlənsɪŋ/ |
- silence somebody/something to make somebody/something stop speaking or making a noise
- She silenced him with a glare.
- Our bombs silenced the enemy's guns (= they destroyed them).
- Her scream was abruptly silenced.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- completely
- effectively
- immediately
- …
- try to
- manage to
- fail to
- …
- with
Definitions on the go
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- silence somebody/something to make somebody stop expressing opinions that are opposed to yours
- All protest had been silenced.
- Her recent achievements have silenced her critics.
Extra Examples- Even these improvements to the service failed to silence a grumbling chorus of complaints.
- Criticism has now been effectively silenced.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- completely
- effectively
- immediately
- …
- try to
- manage to
- fail to
- …
- with
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French, from Latin silentium, from silere ‘be silent’.
Check pronunciation:
silence