silently

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'silently' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe how something was done without drawing attention to it. For example, "The cat silently crept out of the room."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Across the street from the corpses, men and women waited silently for a bus with their plastic shopping bags and children in hand, keeping their gaze away from the dead bodies.

The Guardian

I floated silently past all kinds of amazing riverside homes – old manor houses, tiny cottages, boathouses and mysterious creeks, and ogled, like a particularly inquisitive fish, at the secret riches of waterside life.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Even companies such as Google and Facebook, which can update their products silently (Google updates its search algorithm more than once a day, on average), are cautious about making obvious changes.

The Guardian - Tech

In this, we've not taken the more extensive move of deleting your Google web search history – though if you don't want to be (silently) tracked by Google, then stop using Google's search (there are plenty of other search engines that won't track you, such as DuckDuckGo.com or Blekko.com.

The Guardian - Tech

As I wandered outside, the full scale of San Siro hit me and I silently repeated what a friend once said to me when I took him on a tour of the stadium at my first big club: "Ahhh, proper football".

The Guardian - Sport

Other Aboriginal people watch silently as the freezing winter wind blows off the ranges and fusses among the crumpled beer cans and scorched cooking pots.

The Guardian

As I sit, worrying silently beneath the inscrutable scrutiny of my dentist, I have a vague understanding that things may have changed since my last visit to the chair.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

An Australian friend once told me that in his home country it was considered rude to sit silently in the back of a taxi if you were travelling alone.

The Guardian - Sport

There's no doubt that Parker has silently, mysteriously, conquered our household.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Staggeringly, it seems that few in Carlton's senior management team heeded any lessons from Malthouse's ugly departure at Collingwood, apparently bumbling their way along under the misguided assumption that the league's most abrasive and opinionated media performer would just silently endure this undignified coda to his record-breaking career.

The Guardian - Sport

Before bed, Por took us on a night safari where we floated silently past shy gaur – tragically, the heads of these endangered bison can earn poachers £2,000 apiece.

The Guardian - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "silently" to effectively describe actions or processes that occur without any audible sound, enhancing the imagery and atmosphere of your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "silently" redundantly when the context already implies a lack of sound. For example, instead of saying 'She silently wept', consider 'She wept, tears streaming down her face', which is more evocative.

Linguistic Context

The adverb "silently" primarily functions to modify verbs, indicating that an action is performed without making any noise. Ludwig AI examples show it describing actions like waiting, moving, or updating, emphasizing the lack of audible sound.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

86%

Science

7%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The adverb "silently" is a versatile word used to describe actions performed without sound. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and frequently used in various contexts, particularly in news and media. When using "silently", it's crucial to ensure the context doesn't already imply a lack of sound to avoid redundancy. Consider alternatives like "in silence" or "without a sound" to add nuance. With a neutral register, "silently" enriches descriptive writing by emphasizing the manner in which an action unfolds, often conveying discretion or unobtrusiveness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

without a sound

Focuses on the complete absence of audible noise during the action.

in silence

Highlights the state of quietness surrounding the action.

noiselessly

Emphasizes the lack of noise produced.

without a word

Indicates an absence of spoken communication.

tacitly

Suggests an agreement or understanding that is expressed without being openly stated.

unspokenly

Highlights something communicated or understood without being explicitly expressed.

covertly

Emphasizes the secrecy and hidden nature of the action.

stealthily

Focuses on the cautious and secretive manner of movement or action.

in a hushed manner

Describes the action as performed with reduced intensity.

unvocally

Emphasizes lack of vocal expression

FAQs

How can I use "silently" in a sentence?

You can use "silently" to describe an action performed without sound, such as "The cat moved "stealthily" through the house" or "The program updated "automatically" in the background".

What are some alternatives to saying "silently"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "in silence", "without a sound", or "noiselessly".

Is it correct to say "silently abiding"?

Yes, the phrase "silently abiding" is grammatically correct and can be used to describe something that endures or exists quietly without drawing attention to itself, as in "the "patiently waiting" Europe of many tens of millions".

What's the difference between "silently" and "secretly"?

"Silently" refers to the absence of sound, while "secretly" implies concealment or confidentiality. You might move "silently" to avoid being heard, but act "secretly" to avoid being seen or discovered.