Standard Lemma guide

silently

adv · 3 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈsaɪləntli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AY1 L AH0 N T L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a silent manner; making no noise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Of an edit or change to a text, without explicit acknowledgment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

without speaking

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he sat mutely next to her

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mutely, wordlessly, taciturnly

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English silent Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English silently From silent + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: ці́ха (cíxa) — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Breton: didrouz — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Catalan: silenciosament — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Czech: tiše — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Czech: neslyšně — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Dutch: stilletjes — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Esperanto: silente — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • French: silencieusement — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Galician: silenciosamente — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • German: still — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Greek: αθόρυβα (athóryva) — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Ancient Greek: σιγῇ (sigēî) — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Ancient Greek: σιωπῇ (siōpēî) — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Ancient Greek: ἀκήν (akḗn) — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Hungarian: csendesen — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Hungarian: csendben — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Hungarian: hangtalanul — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Hungarian: némán — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Ido: silence — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Italian: silenziosamente — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Latin: silenter — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Norwegian: stille — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lydløst — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Polish: cicho — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Polish: bezdźwięcznie — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Polish: bezgłośnie — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Polish: bezszelestnie — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Polish: bezszmerowo — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Portuguese: silenciosamente — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Russian: молчали́во (molčalívo) — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Russian: безмо́лвно (bezmólvno) — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Russian: мо́лча (mólča) — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Russian: ти́хо (tíxo) — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Sanskrit: तूष्णीम् (tūṣṇīm) — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Spanish: silenciosamente — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Spanish: callando — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Spanish: callandito — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Spanish: chiticallando — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Spanish: calla callando — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Tocharian B: ām — in a silent manner; making no noise
  • Turkish: sessizce — in a silent manner; making no noise