As with many proverbs, the origin of this phrase is obscured by the mists of time. There are reports of versions of it dating back to ancient Egypt. The first example of it in English is from the poet Thomas Carlyle, who translated the phrase from German in Sartor Resartus, 1831, in which a character expounds at length on the virtues of silence:
The phrase "The silence is deafening" is a common expression used to describe a situation of deep silence or lack of communication. The origin of the phrase is unclear, but it is often attributed to various authors and poets who have used it in their writings to illustrate the powerful impact of silence.
George Barzan, in a full quote 'if everyone thought before they spoke the silence would be deafening'
The word "deafening" is used maliciously (it is usually a loud noise that is deafening). Thus if something someone says is greeted with a "deafening silence" what has been said has NOT been liked by the people that it was said to. - they have not given ANY audible response.
The silence was deafening.
An oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous terms. "Eloquent silence" does not fit this definition as well as "deafening silence" does, because deafening is the exact opposite of silence; however, eloquent ishighly incongruant. Other common examples are "jumbo shrimp" and "bittersweet". A humorous example would be "military intelligence".
Oxymoron!
It would be an oxymoron.
"That moment was bittersweet for me."
Old Time Gospel Hour - 1956 The Deafening Silence of America's Pulpits was released on: USA: 6 June 1993
This is a common literary technique called bad writing. If everyone dropped their books at the same time, there would not be silence. As for the technical term, "deafening silence" is an oxymoron.
This is a common literary technique called bad writing. If everyone dropped their books at the same time, there would not be silence. As for the technical term, "deafening silence" is an oxymoron.
trust to yourself!
The literary technique in this sentence is personification, where the mistake is given human-like qualities of causing a deafening silence. This technique helps create a vivid and impactful image for the reader.
This oxymoronic expression does not refer to silence in general, but to a particular, prominent silence, like when someone says the wrong thing at a party and everyone suddenly becomes quiet.