silent
UK: ˈsaɪlənt | US: ˈsaɪlənt
adj. making no sound; completely quiet
adj. not speaking or expressed verbally
adj. (of a letter in a word) not pronounced
The word "silent" traces back to Latin silēre ("to be quiet"), combined with the adjectival suffix -ent. It entered Middle English via Old French silent, retaining its core meaning of absence of sound. The suffix -ent is a common marker for adjectives derived from Latin verbs, emphasizing a state or quality (e.g., "patient," "different"). The morpheme sil- persists in related words like "silence" and "reticent" (though the latter blends Latin tacēre, "to be silent").
The library was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.
She remained silent during the entire meeting.
The "k" in "knight" is a silent letter.
His silent disapproval was more powerful than words.
The forest at night was eerily silent.