In a world filled with endless noise—both literal and digital—knowing how to describe silence is a superpower. Whether you’re trying to explain a peaceful morning, a secretive conversation, or that awkward hush in the middle of a chat, idioms for quiet add charm and color to your words. These expressions don’t just describe silence—they capture the mood, tone, and vibe in a way plain words just can’t.
For students, writers, teachers, or anyone who enjoys language, learning idioms related to quietness can be both useful and entertaining. From poetic ways to describe a calm room to playful phrases about someone keeping secrets, these idioms are everywhere in books, conversations, and even movies.
In this article, you’ll find 46 creative idioms that all revolve around being quiet. Each one comes with a clear meaning, an example sentence to show how it’s used, and other simple ways to say the same thing. By the end of this post, you’ll have a whole new set of phrases to play with when you need to express calm, silence, or hush in a more vivid way. Ready to turn down the volume and tune into these clever expressions? Let’s begin!
Idioms for Quiet
1. As quiet as a mouse
Meaning: Extremely quiet or silent, barely making a sound.
In a Sentence: She tiptoed into the room as quiet as a mouse, hoping not to wake the baby.
Other Ways to Say: Silent, Barely audible
2. Pin drop silence
Meaning: So quiet that you could hear even a pin drop.
In a Sentence: The room fell into pin drop silence as the principal entered.
Other Ways to Say: Dead silence, Utterly quiet
3. Keep it under your hat
Meaning: To keep something secret or not tell anyone.
In a Sentence: I’ll tell you my plans, but you have to keep it under your hat.
Other Ways to Say: Don’t tell anyone, Keep it a secret
4. Not a peep
Meaning: Not a single sound or word.
In a Sentence: He didn’t make a peep the entire meeting, just sat there listening.
Other Ways to Say: Completely silent, Didn’t speak at all
5. Zip your lip
Meaning: To stop talking or to stay silent.
In a Sentence: You better zip your lip before you say something you’ll regret.
Other Ways to Say: Hush up, Be quiet
6. Hold your tongue
Meaning: To stop yourself from saying something.
In a Sentence: I wanted to argue, but I held my tongue out of respect.
Other Ways to Say: Stay quiet, Don’t speak
7. Mum’s the word
Meaning: Keep something a secret or don’t say anything about it.
In a Sentence: We’re planning a surprise party, so mum’s the word!
Other Ways to Say: Say nothing, Keep silent
8. Silence is golden
Meaning: Sometimes it’s better to say nothing at all.
In a Sentence: I almost told her the truth, but remembered that silence is golden.
Other Ways to Say: Staying silent is wise, Don’t speak unnecessarily
9. Dead silence
Meaning: Complete and total silence.
In a Sentence: After the joke flopped, there was a moment of dead silence.
Other Ways to Say: Utter silence, No sound at all
10. Keep a low profile
Meaning: To avoid attention or stay unnoticed.
In a Sentence: After the scandal, she decided to keep a low profile for a while.
Other Ways to Say: Stay out of sight, Don’t draw attention
11. Cat got your tongue?
Meaning: Said when someone is unusually quiet or not responding.
In a Sentence: You’ve been staring at your phone without saying a word—cat got your tongue?
Other Ways to Say: Why so quiet?, Lost for words
12. Button your lip
Meaning: A way to tell someone to stop talking or keep quiet.
In a Sentence: You better button your lip before you get into more trouble.
Other Ways to Say: Be quiet, Don’t say a word
13. Quiet as the grave
Meaning: Completely silent, often in a spooky or serious way.
In a Sentence: The abandoned house was quiet as the grave at night.
Other Ways to Say: Very still, Deathly quiet
14. Clam up
Meaning: To suddenly stop talking, especially when asked a question.
In a Sentence: As soon as the topic came up, he clammed up and wouldn’t say a thing.
Other Ways to Say: Go silent, Say nothing
15. Still as a statue
Meaning: To remain very quiet and completely motionless.
In a Sentence: He was still as a statue during hide-and-seek so he wouldn’t be found.
Other Ways to Say: Didn’t move or speak, Perfectly still
16. Hush-hush
Meaning: Kept secret or very private.
In a Sentence: The new project was kept hush-hush until the official announcement.
Other Ways to Say: Confidential, On the down-low
17. Tight-lipped
Meaning: Unwilling to talk or share information.
In a Sentence: The coach stayed tight-lipped about the team’s strategy.
Other Ways to Say: Not saying anything, Keeping quiet
18. Go dark
Meaning: To stop all communication or disappear without saying anything.
In a Sentence: After the argument, he went dark and didn’t respond to any messages.
Other Ways to Say: Disappear, Go silent
19. Say nothing
Meaning: Literally to stay silent or not speak.
In a Sentence: She just smiled and said nothing when asked about the rumors.
Other Ways to Say: Stay quiet, Keep silent
20. Keep your mouth shut
Meaning: A strong way to tell someone not to speak or reveal anything.
In a Sentence: If you want to stay out of trouble, keep your mouth shut.
Other Ways to Say: Don’t talk, Stay silent
21. Sound of silence
Meaning: A poetic way to describe complete quiet.
In a Sentence: After the storm passed, the sound of silence filled the empty streets.
Other Ways to Say: Peaceful quiet, Stillness
22. Keep it on the down-low
Meaning: To keep something private or low-key.
In a Sentence: We’re dating, but we’re keeping it on the down-low for now.
Other Ways to Say: Keep it private, Don’t tell anyone
23. Silent treatment
Meaning: When someone deliberately doesn’t speak to another person, usually out of anger.
In a Sentence: She gave him the silent treatment after their argument.
Other Ways to Say: Ignore, Give the cold shoulder
24. Lower your voice
Meaning: To speak more quietly.
In a Sentence: Please lower your voice—the baby is sleeping.
Other Ways to Say: Talk softly, Quiet down
25. Hush your mouth
Meaning: A strong command to stop talking.
In a Sentence: Hush your mouth and listen to what I’m trying to explain.
Other Ways to Say: Be quiet, Stop talking
26. Like a library
Meaning: Extremely quiet, like the calm atmosphere of a library.
In a Sentence: The classroom was so quiet during the test—it was like a library.
Other Ways to Say: Very quiet, Silent environment
27. Keep your voice down
Meaning: To speak softly or more quietly.
In a Sentence: We’re in a movie theater—please keep your voice down.
Other Ways to Say: Speak softly, Lower your volume
28. Not say a word
Meaning: To remain completely silent.
In a Sentence: He didn’t say a word during the entire car ride home.
Other Ways to Say: Stay silent, Remain quiet
29. Peace and quiet
Meaning: A calm and silent environment, often desired or needed.
In a Sentence: After a long day, all I wanted was some peace and quiet.
Other Ways to Say: Calm atmosphere, Silence and rest
30. Under wraps
Meaning: To keep something secret or confidential.
In a Sentence: The new product launch is still under wraps until next month.
Other Ways to Say: Kept secret, Not public yet
31. Seal your lips
Meaning: To remain silent or not reveal a secret.
In a Sentence: If you want to stay in the loop, you have to seal your lips about the plan.
Other Ways to Say: Don’t tell anyone, Keep it to yourself
32. Whisper sweet nothings
Meaning: To speak romantic or affectionate words very quietly.
In a Sentence: He leaned in to whisper sweet nothings into her ear during the dance.
Other Ways to Say: Murmur gently, Speak softly with love
33. Say it in a whisper
Meaning: To speak very quietly or softly.
In a Sentence: She said it in a whisper so no one else would hear.
Other Ways to Say: Whisper it, Speak softly
34. Under one’s breath
Meaning: To speak so quietly that others can barely hear.
In a Sentence: He muttered something under his breath but wouldn’t repeat it out loud.
Other Ways to Say: Mumble, Speak softly to yourself
35. Talk in hushed tones
Meaning: To speak very softly, often in a serious or respectful setting.
In a Sentence: Everyone was talking in hushed tones during the memorial service.
Other Ways to Say: Speak quietly, Use a low voice
36. Keep your thoughts to yourself
Meaning: To not share what you’re thinking.
In a Sentence: Sometimes it’s better to keep your thoughts to yourself instead of starting a debate.
Other Ways to Say: Don’t say anything, Remain silent
37. Whisper behind someone’s back
Meaning: To talk quietly about someone when they’re not around, usually in a negative way.
In a Sentence: They were whispering behind her back instead of confronting her directly.
Other Ways to Say: Gossip quietly, Talk secretly
38. Don’t breathe a word
Meaning: Do not tell anyone about what you’ve just heard.
In a Sentence: Promise me you won’t breathe a word of this to anyone else.
Other Ways to Say: Keep it secret, Tell no one
39. Talk in whispers
Meaning: To speak very softly so only a few people can hear.
In a Sentence: The kids talked in whispers during the sleepover so they wouldn’t get caught.
Other Ways to Say: Speak quietly, Whisper softly
40. A hushed silence
Meaning: A calm and quiet atmosphere, often created suddenly.
In a Sentence: A hushed silence fell over the room when the winner was announced.
Other Ways to Say: Deep silence, Calm quiet
41. Speak softly and carry a big stick
Meaning: Use a calm voice but be prepared to act firmly if needed.
In a Sentence: He believes in handling conflict by speaking softly and carrying a big stick.
Other Ways to Say: Be calm but strong, Quiet strength
42. Quiet as kept
Meaning: Something that is not widely known or discussed.
In a Sentence: Quiet as kept, she’s one of the smartest students in the school.
Other Ways to Say: Not talked about, Low-key
43. Soft-spoken
Meaning: A person who speaks gently and with a quiet voice.
In a Sentence: She’s always been soft-spoken, but her words carry a lot of meaning.
Other Ways to Say: Gentle-voiced, Mild-mannered
44. Keep mum
Meaning: To stay silent, especially when asked not to reveal something.
In a Sentence: He kept mum about the surprise trip his parents had planned.
Other Ways to Say: Say nothing, Stay quiet
45. Whisper thin
Meaning: Very light or barely there—can refer to sounds or even physical things.
In a Sentence: Her whisper-thin voice was barely heard over the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Barely audible, Featherlight
46. Talk under your breath
Meaning: To speak very quietly, often when annoyed or trying not to be heard.
In a Sentence: He talked under his breath about the unfair homework, hoping the teacher wouldn’t hear.
Other Ways to Say: Mumble quietly, Speak softly
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks:
- The teacher entered the room and everyone went as quiet as a __________.
- She gave me the __________ treatment after I forgot her birthday.
- You should really keep that idea __________ wraps until it’s ready.
- Don’t __________ a word about the surprise party.
- He stayed __________-lipped when the reporters asked questions.
- I heard them __________ behind my back after I left.
- After the movie started, the whole theater was like a __________.
- He clammed __________ the moment they asked about his plans.
- Please keep your voice __________ while we’re in the hospital.
- The child sat __________ as a statue, afraid to make a sound.
- If you want to keep your friend’s trust, you better __________ your lips.
- After our talk, she whispered sweet __________ to calm me down.
Answers:
mouse, silent, under, breathe, tight, whispering, library, up, down, still, seal, nothings
Conclusion
Silence doesn’t always mean nothing is happening—it can hold secrets, emotions, and even power. Using idioms about quiet gives your language a more creative and expressive edge, whether you’re writing a poem, telling a story, or just trying to describe a peaceful moment. From “as quiet as a mouse” to “talk under your breath,” these phrases help us capture all the shades of stillness in our everyday lives.
Keep practicing these idioms in your conversations, stories, or classroom work. The more you use them, the more natural they’ll feel. And remember, sometimes saying less says a lot more. Let your silence—and your idioms—speak for themselves.
