Definitions

silent treatment

NOUN

ignoring of another

Synonyms

WEAK

blackballing cold shoulder ignore someone ignoring ostracism ostracization sending to Coventry

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We don’t like confrontation, in daily life at least, and we are masters of the silent treatment, hidden meanings and passive aggression.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

About times he’d argued with his wife and given her the silent treatment.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2025

"I was on probation, I didn't know this person. I thought he might make my life hard at work, that he might give me the silent treatment," she said.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2024

On their long car ride back from Washington, she gave him the silent treatment, talking to him only through their eldest son.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 19, 2023

It seemed that while I was going through the silent treatment, Daisy would stay as close to me as she could.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls