silent
1 adj Someone who is silent is not speaking.
v-link ADJ
Trish was silent because she was reluctant to put her thoughts into words..., He spoke no English and was completely silent during the visit..., They both fell silent.
♦
silently adv ADV with v
She and Ned sat silently for a moment, absorbing the peace of the lake...
2 adj If you describe someone as a silent person, you mean that they do not talk to people very much, and sometimes give the impression of being unfriendly.
ADJ n
(=quiet)
He was a serious, silent man.
3 adj A place that is silent is completely quiet, with no sound at all. Something that is silent makes no sound at all.
usu v-link ADJ
The room was silent except for John's crunching...
♦
silently adv ADV with v
Strange shadows moved silently in the almost permanent darkness.
4 adj A silent emotion or action is not expressed in speech.
ADJ n
The attacker still stood there, watching her with silent contempt...
5 adj A silent film has pictures usually accompanied by music but does not have the actors' voices or any other sounds. ADJ n ...one of the famous silent films of Charlie Chaplin.
silent majority
If you believe that, in society or in a particular group, the opinions of most people are very different from the opinions that are most often heard in public, you can refer to these people as the silent majority. n-sing-coll
The silent majority of supportive parents and teachers should make their views known.
silent partner ( silent partners plural ) A silent partner is a person who provides some of the capital for a business but who does not take an active part in managing the business.
(AM, BUSINESS) n-count
in BRIT, use sleeping partner