stillness
Americannoun
-
silence; quiet; hush.
-
the absence of motion.
Etymology
Origin of stillness
before 1000; Middle English stilnesse, Old English stilnes. See still 1, -ness
Explanation
Stillness is a calm, quiet, motionless state. As you look out at the lake, the stillness of the water is a sign that you should take out the canoe rather than the sailboat. When there's stillness, you can hear very few sounds and see very little movement. The stillness of a quiet mountain cabin may be just the escape you need from the busy, noisy city — although you may find that stillness to be a little spooky at night. You can also use this word for a more specific example of motionlessness: "The butterfly's stillness allowed me to get a good look at its beautiful wings."
Vocabulary lists containing stillness
myPerspectives 7.4
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Suffix -ness, Part 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Stillness that is not still—think Martha Graham by way of Irving Penn, with a nod to Rei Kawakubo’s mutating forms.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 1, 2025
Shape of Stillness went for £47,500 in December.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2025
The Library of America has just reissued Bruce Catton’s Army of the Potomac trilogy, a welcome omnibus of “Mr. Lincoln’s Army,” “Glory Road” and the Pulitzer Prize-winning “A Stillness at Appomattox.”
From Washington Post • Dec. 2, 2022
Stillness comes to our restless protagonist about as easy as it does a rough sea until she comes to know and love Samsa, a woman who affectionately gives her the nickname “Boulder.”
From New York Times • Aug. 2, 2022
Stillness: this is what he radiates more than anything else.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
