Meanings
- idiomaticnot comparablesimileOf a person, saying absolutely nothing (especially about a particular subject).
The investigation is ongoing, but all the suspects have been silent as the grave so far.
2 more examples
“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“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, […], →OCLCSynonyms: silent as the tomb
- idiomaticnot comparablesimileOf a place, deathly still and silent.
The abandoned village is silent as the grave.
Synonyms: silent as the tomb
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOf a person, saying absolutely nothing (especially about a particular subject).
adjectiveOf a place, deathly still and silent.
Origin
Perhaps connected to the idea of taking a secret to the grave, or the idea that dead men tell no tales.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech mlčet jako hrob
- mlčet jako hrobto say absolutely nothing
Dutch doodstil
- doodstilto say absolutely nothing
Finnish haudanhiljainen
- haudanhiljainento say absolutely nothing
French muet comme une tombe, muet comme une carpe
- muet comme une tombeto say absolutely nothing
- muet comme une carpeto say absolutely nothing
- muet comme un poissonto say absolutely nothing
German wie ein Grab schweigen
- wie ein Grab schweigento say absolutely nothing
Hungarian néma, mint a sír
- néma, mint a sírto say absolutely nothing
Icelandic þegja eins og steinn
- þegja eins og steinnto say absolutely nothing
Italian silenzioso come una tomba, muto come un pesce
- silenzioso come una tombato say absolutely nothing
- muto come un pesceto say absolutely nothing
Norwegian stille som i graven
- stille som i gravento say absolutely nothing
Polish milczeć jak grób, milczeć jak kamień
- milczeć jak gróbto say absolutely nothing
- milczeć jak kamieńto say absolutely nothing
- milczeć jak głazto say absolutely nothing
- milczeć jak zaklętyto say absolutely nothing
- milczeć jak zamurowanyto say absolutely nothing
- siedzieć jak mumiato say absolutely nothing
Spanish ser callado como una tumba, ser como una tumba
- ser callado como una tumbato say absolutely nothing
- ser como una tumbato say absolutely nothing
Vietnamese im như thóc, câm như hến
- im như thócto say absolutely nothing
- câm như hếnto say absolutely nothing
Cite this entry
silent as the grave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silent%20as%20the%20grave
“silent as the grave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silent%20as%20the%20grave. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “silent as the grave,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silent%20as%20the%20grave.
Source: silent as the grave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.