be quiet

US/biˈkwaɪˌət/

interjection

Remain silent. Sometimes used as a more polite synonym of shut up.

Similar
hush!silence!whist!aunt nellcan itchutclam uphush
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Meanings

interjection
  1. imperativeRemain silent. Sometimes used as a more polite synonym of shut up.

    Sultan: I said your name was Rahneesh and that’s it! Now be quiet!

    2005, Annabelle du Fouet, “Kinksters and kinksterettes—Who are these people, anyway?” (chapter 1), in Weather Balloons Make Rotten Sex Toys, Ellora's Cave, →ISBN, page 30

    Synonyms: hush!, silence!, whist!, aunt nell, can it, chut, clam up, hush

Synonyms & antonyms

interjectionRemain silent. Sometimes used as a more polite synonym of shut up.

Similar
hush!silence!whist!aunt nellcan itchutclam uphushkeep one's lips sealedkeep one's mouth shutpipe downput a sock in itsave itshhshupshut the front doorshut the fuck upshut upsoft

More synonyms by meaning

verbrefuse to talk or stop talking; fall silent

Similar
close upclam updummy upshut upbelt upbutton upkeep mum
Broader
refrainforbear
Also see
belt upbutton upclam upclose updummy upshut upsilence

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From be + quiet.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

be quiet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/be%20quiet

MLA

“be quiet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/be%20quiet. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “be quiet,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/be%20quiet.

Source: be quiet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.