as quiet as a mouse
Meaning
Very quiet; making almost no noise, often to avoid being noticed.
Origin
A simile comparing someone’s silence to a mouse, an animal stereotypically thought to move stealthily and make very little sound; recorded in English for centuries.
Notes
A common, slightly playful simile for extreme quiet. Used for people or places becoming very silent.
Examples
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The kids were as quiet as a mouse when they heard Dad’s car pull into the driveway.
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She was as quiet as a mouse during the meeting, taking notes but not saying a word.
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We crept into the house as quiet as a mouse so we wouldn’t wake the baby.
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He sat as quiet as a mouse in the back row, hoping the teacher wouldn’t call on him.
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After the storm passed, the neighborhood was as quiet as a mouse.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed pattern: “as quiet as a mouse.” Often used after linking verbs (be/seem/keep) or with “go”: “The room went as quiet as a mouse.” Rarely pluralized/altered.
Synonyms
- as quiet as a whisper
- as silent as the grave
- silent as a mouse
- very quiet
Antonyms
- loud as hell
- noisy
- boisterous
- raucous