Vocabulary
침묵
silence
Meaning
침묵 (沈默): the absence of speech; silence maintained by a person or group.
Why this form?
고요 (“stillness, quiet”) mainly refers to a lack of noise or activity; 침묵 emphasizes not speaking.
Natural usage
침묵을 지키다 (“remain silent”); 침묵이 흐르다 (“a silence falls”).
Hanja
沈 (“sink, deepen”) + 默 (“be silent”): literally a deep silence, evoking the absence of speech.
Examples
불안하게 만드는 침묵이 다시 돌아오고, 나는 또 불편해지기 시작한다. — The silence that makes me uneasy returns, and I begin to feel uncomfortable again.
그는 질문에 침묵으로 답했다. — He answered the question with silence.