awkward silence
Nobody says anything
An awkward silence is a pause in conversation that feels uncomfortable, usually because something embarrassing was said, a topic has been exhausted, or people simply don't know what to say next.
The phrase acknowledges both the silence itself and the social discomfort it creates: An awkward silence followed his joke about her ex.
- uncomfortableCausing unease or distress
- pauseTemporary cessation of activity
- tensionStretched or strained state
- cringeShrink from discomfort
- stiltedUnnaturally formal in expression
long pause · dead air · quiet · strained · unease · cricket · tumbleweed · frozen · lull · gap · wordless · fidgeting · eye contact · looking away · checking phone · stammering · pregnant pause · nervous laughter
- Awkward TopicsTMI, oversharing, taboo subject
- comedy tropespratfall, parody, sight gag, running gag, satire
- awkward momentsoops, cringe, embarrassment, yikes, cringe humor
- comedy termsjokes, puns, wit, sarcasm, irony
- public speaking fearsstage fright, shaky voice, stumbling, stuttering, dry mouth
- socially awkwardshy, nervous, tongue-tied, social anxiety, shyness
conversational dynamics
awkward silenceeasy conversation
witty repartee · back-and-forth · verbal sparring · crosstalk
awkward, silence, awkwardly, awkwardness, silent, silently, silences, silenced, silencing