diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-darwin b/icu4c/source/config/mh-darwin
index 3839d9c43fe..b40b92f2c90 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-darwin
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-darwin
@@ -63,14 +63,14 @@ MIDDLE_SO_TARGET= $(basename $(SO_TARGET)).$(SO_TARGET_VERSION_MAJOR).$(SO)
 
 ## Compilation and dependency rules
 %.$(STATIC_O): $(srcdir)/%.c
-	$(strip $(COMPILE.c) $(STATICCPPFLAGS) $(STATICCFLAGS)) -MMD -MT "$*.d$(DYNAMIC_DEPENDENCY_FILE)" -o $@ $<
+	$(SILENT_COMPILE)$(strip $(COMPILE.c) $(STATICCPPFLAGS) $(STATICCFLAGS)) -MMD -MT "$*.d$(DYNAMIC_DEPENDENCY_FILE)" -o $@ $<
 %.o: $(srcdir)/%.c
-	$(strip $(COMPILE.c) $(DYNAMICCPPFLAGS) $(DYNAMICCFLAGS)) -MMD -MT "$*.d$(STATIC_DEPENDENCY_FILE)" -o $@ $<
+	$(SILENT_COMPILE)$(strip $(COMPILE.c) $(DYNAMICCPPFLAGS) $(DYNAMICCFLAGS)) -MMD -MT "$*.d$(STATIC_DEPENDENCY_FILE)" -o $@ $<
 
 %.$(STATIC_O): $(srcdir)/%.cpp
-	$(strip $(COMPILE.cc) $(STATICCPPFLAGS) $(STATICCXXFLAGS)) -MMD -MT "$*.d$(DYNAMIC_DEPENDENCY_FILE)" -o $@ $<
+	$(SILENT_COMPILE)$(strip $(COMPILE.cc) $(STATICCPPFLAGS) $(STATICCXXFLAGS)) -MMD -MT "$*.d$(DYNAMIC_DEPENDENCY_FILE)" -o $@ $<
 %.o: $(srcdir)/%.cpp
-	$(strip $(COMPILE.cc) $(DYNAMICCPPFLAGS) $(DYNAMICCXXFLAGS)) -MMD -MT "$*.d$(STATIC_DEPENDENCY_FILE)" -o $@ $<
+	$(SILENT_COMPILE)$(strip $(COMPILE.cc) $(DYNAMICCPPFLAGS) $(DYNAMICCXXFLAGS)) -MMD -MT "$*.d$(STATIC_DEPENDENCY_FILE)" -o $@ $<
 
 ## Versioned libraries rules
 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in b/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in
index e7fb6959bcf..6f82aeaa501 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in
@@ -172,6 +172,11 @@ LINK.cc=      $(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS)
 SHLIB.c=      $(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -shared $(LD_SOOPTIONS)
 SHLIB.cc=     $(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -shared $(LD_SOOPTIONS)
 
+# Do not show the large compiling arguments by default.
+ifndef VERBOSE
+    SILENT_COMPILE=@echo Compiling $< &&
+endif
+
 # Environment variable to set a runtime search path
 LDLIBRARYPATH_ENVVAR = LD_LIBRARY_PATH