無言|むごんmugon[0]heiban (flat)

1. no-adjectivesilence (not speaking); muteness
   無言むごんが記録きろくされたためしはない。↗

   No silence was ever written down.

• Synonym沈黙ちんもくWrittenRead 「しじま」, it is also written 「沈黙」 and leans toward a hushed atmosphere; 「沈黙」 read 「ちんもく」 usually means a person not speaking.
• Synonym絶句ぜっくNeutralBeing struck speechless for a moment, as in 「あまりの事に絶句する」; carries a nuance of shock. 「無言」 is simply not speaking.
• Synonym無声むせいWrittenWritten word: having no sound, as in 「無声映画」; in phonetics, voiceless (vocal cords not vibrating). 「無言」 is about a person not speaking.
• SynonymしじまWrittenA written word for utter stillness, as in 「夜のしじま」 — the quiet of the surroundings, where 「無言」 is about a person not speaking.
• SynonymだんまりNeutralColloquial: keeping mum and giving no notice, as in 「だんまりを決め込む」. Suggests deliberate silence, unlike the plain 「無言」.
• Related静寂せいじゃくWrittenA written word for utter stillness, as in 「夜のしじま」 — the quiet of the surroundings, where 「無言」 is about a person not speaking.
• Related静けさしずけさNeutralThe quiet of a place or moment, as in 「嵐の前の静けさ」; centers on atmosphere rather than a person not speaking.
• Related無音むおんWrittenWritten word for the absence of sound, as in 「無音状態」 — about no sound being heard, not about a person not speaking.
• RelatedサイレンスNeutralLoanword for silence or stillness. In everyday speech, 「沈黙」 or 「静けさ」 is the usual choice.
• Related森閑しんかんWrittenWritten word: deeply hushed and tranquil, as in 「森閑とした境内」. Describes places, where 「無言」 describes a person's silence.
• Related音なしおとなしNeutralColloquial: utterly soundless, without a stir. Rarely seen in actual use.
• Antonym発言はつげんNeutralAntonym: making a statement or remark; stands against 「無言」, saying nothing at all.
• Antonym有言WrittenWritten antonym: saying something, as opposed to 「無言」's not speaking at all.

For saying nothing at all, use 「無言」, as in 「無言で去る」 or 「無言電話」. For deliberately keeping mum, use 「だんまり」; for being struck speechless, 「絶句」; for a quiet environment, 「静けさ」. The opposite of 「無言」 is 「発言」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 何なんも言いわないこと。