Synonyms

silent treatment

American

noun

an act or instance of maintaining silence or aloofness toward another person, especially as a means of indicating disapproval or rejection.

Etymology

Origin of silent treatment

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

Daisy had put me through the silent treatment several times in my life, and I didn’t like it at all.

From Literature

“For a day or two, she’d give us the silent treatment, and then we’d all fall back into the form of a life trying to make ends meet,” he wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

They did this by sitting and pouting, having lying-down tantrums, and giving each other the “silent treatment.”

From Literature

He’s used to giving me the silent treatment whenever there is conflict and he’s improved, but there is still a huge divide between what we have and what I, and most people, think is healthy.

From MarketWatch

‘He thinks nothing of spending $40K on a new car’: My husband gives me the silent treatment.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023