stock-still
Americanadjective
adverb
Etymology
Origin of stock-still
First recorded in 1425–75, stock-still is from late Middle English stok still. See stock, still 1
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.
She trains them to stand stock-still when a judge inspects them nose to tail, or trot in a circle without getting distracted by the crowd.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
Even if almost everyone in attendance lay on the ground stock-still.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2026
Michel Nkuka Mboladinga has supported the Democratic Republic of Congo by dressing up as the country's revered first leader Patrice Lumumba and remaining stock-still throughout every match.
From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026
As a reporter asked the 81-year-old his thoughts on running for reelection in 2026, McConnell stood stock-still, unblinking and seemingly unable to answer, while holding tightly to his lectern.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2023
Performers standing stock-still with elaborate costumes and painted skin on platforms set up in precarious spaces between tents.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
