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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

silent as the grave en · ADJ

Pronunciation

Etymology

Perhaps connected to the idea of taking a secret to the grave, or the idea that dead men tell no tales.

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic, not-comparable, qualifier:simile) Of a person, saying absolutely nothing (especially about a particular subject).
    • “Well, then, if you’re bound to go, I’ll tell you the way to do when you get to the village. Shut the door and blindfold the doctor tight and fast, and make him swear to be silent as the grave, and put a purse full of gold in his hand, […] 1884 December 10, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XL, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade) […], London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC:
    • “Livesey,” returned the squire, “you are always in the right of it. I’ll be as silent as the grave.” 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
    • The investigation is ongoing, but all the suspects have been silent as the grave so far.
  2. (idiomatic, not-comparable, qualifier:simile) Of a place, deathly still and silent.
    • The abandoned village is silent as the grave.

Relateds

take to the grave · dead men tell no tales · omertà

Synonyms

silent as the tomb · silent as the tomb

Translations (23)

it silenzioso come una tomba (to say absolutely nothing) · pl milczeć jak kamień (to say absolutely nothing) · pl siedzieć jak mumia (to say absolutely nothing) · pl milczeć jak grób (to say absolutely nothing) · es ser como una tumba (to say absolutely nothing) · fi haudanhiljainen (to say absolutely nothing) · de wie ein Grab schweigen (to say absolutely nothing) · fr muet comme un poisson (to say absolutely nothing) · vi im như thóc (to say absolutely nothing) · hu néma, mint a sír (to say absolutely nothing) · it muto come un pesce (to say absolutely nothing) · vi câm như hến (to say absolutely nothing) · es ser callado como una tumba (to say absolutely nothing) · fr muet comme une tombe (to say absolutely nothing) · no stille som i graven (to say absolutely nothing) · nl doodstil (to say absolutely nothing) · is þegja eins og steinn (to say absolutely nothing) · cs mlčet jako hrob (to say absolutely nothing) · sh šutjeti kao grob (to say absolutely nothing) · pl milczeć jak zaklęty (to say absolutely nothing) · fr muet comme une carpe (to say absolutely nothing) · pl milczeć jak zamurowany (to say absolutely nothing) · pl milczeć jak głaz (to say absolutely nothing)