The silence of the countryside was almost tangible?
Hello everyone
As far as I know, tangible things are something you can see and touch. Today I read the sentence above.
How can you touch silence?
1. Silence is tangible, my understanding of tangible is wrong.
2. Silence isn’t tangible, so it’s “almost tangible”. The writer wants to emphasize there is no sound in the countryside.

Another question is “tangible evidence”. Can a witness’ testimony “I saw him stole the money” be a tangible evidence? How can you touch the testimony?

Question

The silence of the countryside was almost tangible?
Hello everyone
As far as I know, tangible things are something you can see and touch. Today I read the sentence above.
How can you touch silence?
1.	Silence is tangible, my understanding of tangible is wrong.
2.	Silence isn’t tangible, so it’s “almost tangible”. The writer wants to emphasize there is no sound in the countryside.

Another question is “tangible evidence”. Can a witness’ testimony “I saw him stole the money” be a tangible evidence? How can you touch the testimony?

Answer

The silence was almost tangible means it was very quiet, as you said in number 2.  It is the author's way of indicating that it as overly quiet.  Your definition is completely correct and you analyzed it perfectly in the second bullet. :)

As for tangible evidence, Elena explains it well.  It is factual and substantial evidence.

Keep it up! :)

Answer

capable of being clearly grasped by the mind; substantial rather than imaginary: tangible evidence.