hʌʃ ˈkwaɪ.ɪt ˈkwaɪ.ə.tən ˈsiːkɹəsi ʃʌt ˈʌp ʃʌt ˈʌp ˈsaɪ.ləns ˈsaɪ.ləns cause to be quiet or not talk Please silence the children in the church! keep from expression, for example by threats or pressure All dissenters were silenced when the dictator assumed power a refusal to speak when expected his silence about my contribution was surprising the trait of keeping things secret the absence of sound he needed silence in order to sleep the street was quiet the state of being silent (as when no one is speaking) there was a shocked silence he gestured for silence