silent treatment

English

Noun

silent treatment (usually uncountable; plural silent treatments)

1. A form of social sanction that consists of ignoring a particular individual, neither speaking to that person nor responding to his or her words.
   • 1917, Jack London, "That Dead Men Rise Up Never" in The Human Drift and Other Stories:

     Finally we gave him the silent treatment, and for weeks before he died we neither spoke to him nor did he speak to us.

Usage notes

• Usually preceded by the.

See also

• conspiracy of silence
• ostracize
• send to Coventry (UK)
• shun