缄默

緘默

jiānmò

verb #17,872

Meanings

1 to keep silent
2 to remain quiet

Characters

to seal; to close (mouth)

Examples

面对质问，他选择了缄默。

Miànduì zhìwèn, tā xuǎnzé le jiānmò.

Faced with questioning, he chose to remain silent.

缄默不语有时比说话更有力量。

Jiānmò bù yǔ yǒushí bǐ shuōhuà gèng yǒulì liàng.

Silence is sometimes more powerful than words.

Tips

register

缄默 is more literary and formal than 沉默 (chénmò). It implies a deliberate, often principled silence — closer to English 'reticence' than simply being quiet.

Stroke Order

缄 jiān

默 mò