silence1/ˋsaIləns; ˈsaIləns/n 1 [C,U] when there is no sound or nobody is talking 寂静﹔沉默: complete/total/dead silence There was a loud bang, then complete silence. 一声巨响﹐然后是一片寂静。in silence The two men sat in silence. 这两个男人默不作声地坐着。+of the silence of the night 夜的寂静2 [U] when someone refuses to talk about something 缄默﹐闭口不谈: +on So far, he has maintained his silence on the subject. 至今﹐他仍在这个问题上保持沉默。
silence2v [T] 1 to make someone stop criticizing or giving their opinions 使停止批评[发表意见]﹐压制…的言论: Critics of the system were quickly silenced. 现存体制的批评者很快就被封了嘴。2 to stop someone from talking, or to stop something from making a noise 使沉默﹐使安静