Phrase guide

silent treatment

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A form of communication refusal where one person deliberately ignores or withholds interaction from another, often in order to express anger, disapproval, or to exert control.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences, social-science, sociology

Examples

  • to give someone the silent treatment

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: avoidance, ostracism, shunning, blackballing, blacklisting, discommendation, ostracization, petalism, silent treatment

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

an aloof refusal to speak to someone you know

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rebuff, slight

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: صَمْت عِقَابِيّ (ṣamt ʕiqābiyy) — ignoring a particular individual
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不理不睬 (bùlǐbùcǎi) — ignoring a particular individual
  • Finnish: eristäminen — ignoring a particular individual
  • Finnish: mykkäkoulu — ignoring a particular individual
  • German: anschweigen — ignoring a particular individual
  • German: mit Schweigen strafen — ignoring a particular individual
  • Hungarian: csenddel verés — ignoring a particular individual
  • Italian: trattamento del silenzio — ignoring a particular individual
  • Polish: ciche dni — ignoring a particular individual
  • Portuguese: deixar no vácuo — ignoring a particular individual
  • Spanish: ley del hielo — ignoring a particular individual
  • Spanish: hacer el vacío — ignoring a particular individual
  • Swedish: tiga ihjäl — ignoring a particular individual
  • Tagalog: tampo — ignoring a particular individual
  • Ukrainian: іґнорува́ння (ignoruvánnja) — ignoring a particular individual
  • Ukrainian: бойко́т (bojkót) — ignoring a particular individual