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still1

[stil]
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adjective, still·er, still·est.
  1. remaining in place or at rest; motionless; stationary: to stand still.
  2. free from sound or noise, as a place or persons; silent: to keep still about a matter.
  3. subdued or low in sound; hushed: a still, small voice.
  4. free from turbulence or commotion; peaceful; tranquil; calm: the still air.
  5. without waves or perceptible current; not flowing, as water.
  6. not effervescent or sparkling, as wine.
  7. Photography. noting, pertaining to, or used for making single photographs, as opposed to a motion picture.
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noun
  1. stillness or silence: the still of the night.
  2. Photography. a single photographic print, as one of the frames of a motion-picture film.
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adverb
  1. at this or that time; as previously: Are you still here?
  2. up to this or that time; as yet: A day before departure we were still lacking an itinerary.
  3. in the future as in the past: Objections will still be made.
  4. even; in addition; yet (used to emphasize a comparative): still more complaints; still greater riches.
  5. even then; yet; nevertheless: to be rich and still crave more.
  6. without sound or movement; quietly: Sit still!
  7. at or to a greater distance or degree.
  8. Archaic. steadily; constantly; always.
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conjunction
  1. and yet; but yet; nevertheless: It was futile, still they fought.
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verb (used with object)
  1. to silence or hush (sounds, voices, etc.).
  2. to calm, appease, or allay: to still a craving.
  3. to quiet, subdue, or cause to subside (waves, winds, commotion, tumult, passion, pain, etc.).
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verb (used without object)
  1. to become still or quiet.
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Idioms
  1. still and all, nonetheless; even with everything considered: Even though you dislike us, still and all you should be polite.
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Origin of still1

before 900; (adj. and adv.) Middle English still(e), Old English stille; (noun) Middle English: a calm, derivative of the adj.; (v.) Middle English styllen, Old English stillan; (conjunction) derivative of the adv.; akin to German still (adj.), stille (adv.), stillen (v.), Dutch stil (adj. and adv.), stillen (v.); see stall1

Synonyms

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1. unmoving, inert, quiescent. 2. soundless, mute. 4. pacific, placid, serene. 8. quiet, hush, calm. 19. quiet, mute, stifle, muffle, smother. 20. soothe, pacify.

Synonym study

2. Still, quiet, hushed, noiseless, silent indicate the absence of noise and of excitement or activity accompanied by sound. Still indicates the absence of sound or movement: The house was still. Quiet implies relative freedom from noise, activity, or excitement: a quiet engine; a quiet vacation. Hushed implies the suppression of sound or noise: a hushed whisper. Noiseless and silent characterize that which does not reveal its presence or movement by any sound: a noiseless footstep; silent dissent. 18. See but1.

still2

[stil]
noun
  1. a distilling apparatus, consisting of a vessel in which a liquid is heated and vaporized and a cooling device or coil for condensing the vapor.
  2. a distillery.
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verb (used with or without object)
  1. to distill.
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Origin of still2

1250–1300; (v.) Middle English stillen, aphetic variant of distillen to distill; (noun) derivative of the v.

Still

[stil]
noun
  1. Andrew Taylor,1828–1917, U.S. founder of osteopathy.
  2. William Grant,1895–1978, U.S. composer.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

evenneverthelessyetthoughclosedsmoothstock-stillpacifichalcyonstaticsealedstablefixedwhistnotwithstandingnonethelesswithalquietudequietnesspeace

Examples from the Web for still

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • "If you still love Paralus, I wonder you can be so quiet and cheerful," said Eudora.

    Philothea

    Lydia Maria Child

  • And still, dearest Philothea, your heart speaks the same language.

    Philothea

    Lydia Maria Child

  • Proclus was covered with confusion, but still seemed half incredulous.

    Philothea

    Lydia Maria Child

  • His lines were gracefully full, his bearing had still the alertness of youth.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • Is that brother of hers you told me about still makin' up to that party?

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for still

still1

adjective
  1. (usually predicative) motionless; stationary
  2. undisturbed or tranquil; silent and calm
  3. not sparkling or effervescenta still wine
  4. gentle or quiet; subdued
  5. obsolete (of a child) dead at birth
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adverb
  1. continuing now or in the future as in the pastdo you still love me?
  2. up to this or that time; yetI still don't know your name
  3. (often used with a comparative) even or yetstill more insults
  4. quiet or without movementsit still
  5. poetic, dialect always
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noun
  1. poetic silence or tranquillitythe still of the night
    1. a still photograph, esp of a scene from a motion-picture film
    2. (as modifier)a still camera
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verb
  1. to make or become still, quiet, or calm
  2. (tr) to allay or relieveher fears were stilled
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sentence connector
  1. even then; neverthelessthe child has some new toys and still cries
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Derived Formsstillness, noun

Word Origin

Old English stille; related to Old Saxon, Old High German stilli, Dutch stollen to curdle, Sanskrit sthānús immobile

still2

noun
  1. an apparatus for carrying out distillation, consisting of a vessel in which a mixture is heated, a condenser to turn the vapour back to liquid, and a receiver to hold the distilled liquid, used esp in the manufacture of spirits
  2. a place where spirits are made; distillery
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Word Origin

C16: from Old French stiller to drip, from Latin stillāre, from stilla a drip; see distil
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for still

adj.

Old English stille "motionless, stationary," from West Germanic *steljaz (cf. Old Frisian, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch stille, Dutch stil, Old High German stilli, German still), from root *stel- "fixed, not moving, standing" (see stall (n.1)). Meaning "quiet, silent" emerged in later Old English. Euphemistic for "dead" in stillborn, etc. Still small voice is from KJV:

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. [1 Kings 19:11-13]
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n.1

"distilling apparatus," 1530s, from Middle English stillen "to distill" (c.1300), a variant of distillen (see distill).

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v.

"to calm," Old English stillan, from stille "at rest" (see still (adj.)). Cognate with Old Saxon stillian, Old Norse stilla, Dutch, Old High German, German stillen. Related: Stilled; stilling.

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n.2

"quietness, the silent part," c.1600 (in still of the night), from still (adj.). Meaning "ordinary photo" (as distinguished from a motion picture) is attested from 1916.

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adv.

"even now, even then, yet" (e.g. still standing there), 1530s, from still (adj.) in the sense "without change or cessation, continual" (c.1300); the sense of "even, yet" (e.g. still more) is from 1730. Used as a conjunction from 1722.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with still

still

In addition to the idioms beginning with still

  • still and all
  • still small voice
  • still waters run deep

also see:

  • heart misses a beat (stands still)
  • hold still
  • jury is still out
  • keep quiet (still)
  • quiet (still) as a mouse
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.