moment of silence
28
3.5
- noun
- /ˈmoʊmənt əv ˈsaɪləns/
- Formal
:
minuto de silencio
- Please pause for a moment of silence to honor the memory of those who lost and our country.
- moment of silence for prayer
Please join me in a moment of silence to honor their memories.
- Please join me in a moment of silence to honor their memories.
- In this moment of silence, may we hold them in our hearts.
- I'd like to ask everyone to join me in a moment of silence.
- Please pause for a moment of silence to honor the memory of those who lost and our country.
- So first of all, a moment of silence for all those men that have struggled with abuse in their relationships.
Examples
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And now, a moment of silence for Leonora.
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Before he does that, ladies and gentlemen, I have to ask for a moment of silence, please.
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But first, we, we should have a moment of silence for someone special that we all know and love.
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And now if you join me in a moment of silence.
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I ask you now to join me in a moment of silence for our friend.
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Please join me in a moment of silence to honor their memories.
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Please, let's take a moment of silence for them.
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Let's just have a moment of silence together.
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Let's have a moment of silence.
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Please join me in a moment of silence to honor their memories.
Synonyms
660
2.0
A period with no sound or speech
43
7.0
A calm, quiet time when there is little noise
38
3.5
A time of complete quiet and no movement that feels calm
A time when people stay quiet for prayer, meditation, or discipline
Antonyms
How Quiet
660
2.0
- Formal
28
3.5
- Literature
43
7.0
21
3.7
192
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'moment of silence' is compositionally built from 'moment' (a short interval) and 'silence' (absence of sound), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a short period of quiet. Its ceremonial use to honor or remember someone is a pragmatic extension but the basic meaning is transparent and paralleled in many languages (e.g., 'minuto/momento de silencio'), making it readily understandable to B1 learners.
Etymology
Moment of silence comes from the simple act of people stopping all talking and noise for a short moment so there is full silence while they remember or honor someone who has died. So, it now means 'a short period when people remain quiet' to show respect.