Say it like this
- We need to fill the dead air with more discussion.
- There was a lot of dead air on that call.
- Let's avoid dead air by preparing talking points ahead of time.
Use it at work
Running a meeting
- To avoid dead air, I'll ask Sam to start.
- Sorry for the dead air. I'm looking for the file.
Presenting
- Prepare a few questions in case there's dead air.
- There was a lot of dead air after the demo.
Online calls
- If there's dead air, I'll call on people by name.
- Let's fill the dead air while we wait for the client.
Don't say this
Dead air refers to unwanted silence in group settings, not individual thinking time. Use pause or a moment instead.
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. You are leading a meeting and there is uncomfortable silence after you ask a question. Which sentence sounds most natural?
2. To prevent _______ in our remote meetings, we should prepare discussion topics in advance.
3. Which sentence uses 'dead air' incorrectly?
4. Rewrite this sentence using 'dead air': 'During the retrospective, nobody spoke for a long time, which felt uncomfortable.'
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"We need to fill the dead air with more discussion."
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More about dead air
Real examples(3)
- in a standup meeting
"After Sarah asked about the deployment timeline, there was dead air for ten seconds before anyone answered."
- in a client call
"The product demo ended with dead air because nobody knew it was time to ask questions."
- in a presentation
"The presenter paused for audience questions, but dead air filled the room until someone finally spoke up."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Dead air refers to silence in communication, not pausing to think. Do not use it to mean a break or pause where someone is collecting their thoughts.
- ✕We dead aired during the meeting.✓There was dead air during the meeting.
Dead air is a noun describing silence, not a verb. You cannot do dead air. You can experience it or have it occur.
- ✕The dead air lasted only a few seconds, so it was fine.✓The brief silence lasted only a few seconds, so it was not awkward.
Dead air specifically implies uncomfortable or awkward silence. A natural pause is not dead air.
Other forms(2)
- dead air noun
"We encountered dead air when the client did not respond to our proposal summary."
- a moment of dead air noun phrase
"A moment of dead air hung over the virtual meeting after the announcement."
Often used with(4)
- fill the dead air · To eliminate silence by speaking or providing content; commonly used when someone breaks silence in a meeting
- awkward dead air · Emphasizes the uncomfortable nature of the silence; often used to describe particularly tense moments
- avoid dead air · To plan communication in advance to prevent awkward silences; used when discussing meeting strategies
- dead air on the call · Silence occurring during a video or phone call; common in remote work contexts
Similar words(3)
- awkward silence · More explicit about discomfort; dead air is more specific to media and professional settings
- uncomfortable pause · Less formal; awkward silence and pause are more general alternatives
- lull in conversation · Less negative; a lull may be intentional, whereas dead air is typically unwanted
Opposites(3)
- engagement
- active discussion
- productive conversation
Questions(5)
- What does dead air mean in software engineering meetings?
- Dead air refers to awkward silence during meetings, calls, or presentations when no one is speaking. In tech meetings, it typically occurs when a question is asked and nobody responds immediately, or when a presenter finishes and pauses for feedback. It is called dead air because it resembles the silence broadcasters fear during radio or television transmissions.
- How do you use dead air in a sentence at work?
- You use dead air to describe uncomfortable silence. Examples include: 'There was dead air after the manager asked for volunteers' or 'We experienced dead air on the client call when they did not respond to our proposal.' You typically refer to dead air as something you experience or that occurs, not something you do.
- Is dead air formal or informal?
- Dead air is casual and spoken language. It is commonly used in informal tech discussions and meetings but would be considered too casual for formal written communication like emails to executives or official documentation. It is popular in team meetings and retrospectives among engineers and product professionals.
- How can you avoid dead air in meetings?
- To avoid dead air, prepare discussion topics and questions in advance, encourage participation by asking specific people directly, use chat functions to allow written responses, create psychological safety so people feel comfortable speaking, and be ready with follow-up questions to fill silence. In remote meetings, explicitly invite responses rather than waiting for people to unmute themselves.
- Why does dead air happen more often in remote meetings?
- Dead air happens more in remote meetings because participants cannot see body language, facial expressions, or other visual cues that indicate someone is about to speak or is thinking. On video calls, silence feels more pronounced and awkward. Also, technical delays and the need to unmute create additional friction in turn-taking.
