silhouette 1 of 2

as in outline
a line that traces the outer limits of an object or surface cartoonists often try to give their characters recognizable silhouettes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

silhouette

2 of 2

verb

as in to trace
to draw or make apparent the outline of in the photograph the majestic mountain is strikingly silhouetted against the setting sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun silhouette differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of silhouette are contour, outline, and profile. While all these words mean "the line that bounds and gives form to something," silhouette suggests a shape especially of a head or figure with all detail blacked out in shadow leaving only the outline clearly defined.

photograph in silhouette against a bright sky

Where would contour be a reasonable alternative to silhouette?

While in some cases nearly identical to silhouette, contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled.

a car with flowing contours

When could outline be used to replace silhouette?

In some situations, the words outline and silhouette are roughly equivalent. However, outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass.

traced the outline of his hand

When is it sensible to use profile instead of silhouette?

The meanings of profile and silhouette largely overlap; however, profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background.

a portrait of her face in profile

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of silhouette
Noun
Later seasons would see Lady Mary in looser silhouettes, short bob haircuts, and flapper glamour. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025 Aiming to highlight different silhouettes, materials, and detailing, the color palette for the show was black and white with a pop of red. Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
As the full moon sank below the horizon, silhouetting palm trees at Jetty Park, the light of dawn ushered in the arrival of the world’s largest cruise ship to its new homeport on Florida’s Space Coast. Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2025 The model on display on Sunday had a blue wrap with orangish-yellow striping along the lower sides, with a couple of palm tree silhouettes. Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for silhouette
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silhouette
Noun
  • For last weekend’s season-opening slate of games, several Texas college football teams sported ribbons of their own, in the form of a special decal on players’ helmets depicting an outline of the state of Texas with a green bow at its center.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Prairie Village’s rules mirror Leawood’s, with similar outlines to age requirements for class 3 e-bikes in particular, yielding and giving audible signals to pedestrians, following manufacturer recommendations and not allowing distracted or reckless operation of the device.
    Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The chaos can be traced back to Macron’s dramatic decision to call a snap poll last year.
    Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The House bill would be eliminating an agency that’s officially been around since 1999 but can trace its roots all the way back to 1968.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Bowie had begun to sketch out a story and think of possible characters for The Spectator, which appeared to be a blend of fact and fiction.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Unclear, but if an episode mimics that Saturday Night Live sketch with Mikey Day and Ryan Gosling, that would be pleasantly self-aware.
    Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Among them were countless era-defining releases that are still among the best movies ever made—of any genre—from the haunting Rebecca to the gripping Rear Window, and the ravishing Vertigo to the hair-raising Psycho.
    Radhika Seth, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Internally, the current workspace contained not only the visible text documents but also any custom words the user added to the dictionary and any additional tForth words defined in memory.
    Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Silhouette.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silhouette. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on silhouette

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!