still

[stil]

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adjective, still·er, still·est.

remaining in place or at rest; motionless; stationary: to stand still.

free from sound or noise, as a place or persons; silent: to keep still about a matter.

subdued or low in sound; hushed: a still, small voice.

free from turbulence or commotion; peaceful; tranquil; calm: the still air.

without waves or perceptible current; not flowing, as water.

not effervescent or sparkling, as wine.

Photography. noting, pertaining to, or used for making single photographs, as opposed to a motion picture.

noun

stillness or silence: the still of the night.

Photography. a single photographic print, as one of the frames of a motion-picture film.

adverb

at this or that time; as previously: Are you still here?

up to this or that time; as yet: A day before departure we were still lacking an itinerary.

in the future as in the past: Objections will still be made.

even; in addition; yet (used to emphasize a comparative): still more complaints; still greater riches.

even then; yet; nevertheless: to be rich and still crave more.

without sound or movement; quietly: Sit still!

at or to a greater distance or degree.

Archaic. steadily; constantly; always.

conjunction

and yet; but yet; nevertheless: It was futile, still they fought.

verb (used with object)

to silence or hush (sounds, voices, etc.).

to calm, appease, or allay: to still a craving.

to quiet, subdue, or cause to subside (waves, winds, commotion, tumult, passion, pain, etc.).

verb (used without object)

to become still or quiet.

Idioms

still and all, nonetheless; even with everything considered: Even though you dislike us, still and all you should be polite.

Origin of still

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 for still

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.

still

[stil]

noun

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.

a distillery.

verb (used with or without object)

to distill.

Origin of still

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for stilled

even, nevertheless, yet, though, closed, smooth, stock-still, pacific, halcyon, static, sealed, stable, fixed, whist, notwithstanding, nonetheless, withal, quietude, quietness, peace

Examples from the Web for stilled

Contemporary Examples of stilled

The most famous Tiananmen protest leaders are stilled barred from entering China.
Tian Hou, Imprisoned After Tiananmen Square, Has Now Returned as a Successful Financial Analyst
Melinda Liu
March 9, 2012

Historical Examples of stilled

But the new voice was stilled into nothingness by the shrill, reawakening falsetto.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
What could such men as these raise up in place of the mighty life they had stilled?
The Harbor
Ernest Poole
There was an exclamation from the sheriff and the sound of moving feet suddenly was stilled.
The Coyote
James Roberts
The heat seemed to have stilled everything in the world but his voice.
Victory
Joseph Conrad
There would always be a longing cry in her heart that would refuse to be stilled.
Jolly Sally Pendleton
Laura Jean Libbey

British Dictionary definitions for stilled

still

adjective

(usually predicative) motionless; stationary

undisturbed or tranquil; silent and calm

not sparkling or effervescenta still wine

gentle or quiet; subdued

obsolete (of a child) dead at birth

adverb

continuing now or in the future as in the pastdo you still love me?

up to this or that time; yetI still don't know your name

(often used with a comparative) even or yetstill more insults

quiet or without movementsit still

poetic, dialect always

noun

poetic silence or tranquillitythe still of the night

a still photograph, esp of a scene from a motion-picture film
(as modifier)a still camera

verb

to make or become still, quiet, or calm

(tr) to allay or relieveher fears were stilled

sentence connector

even then; neverthelessthe child has some new toys and still cries

Derived Formsstillness, noun

Word Origin for still

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

still

noun

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

a place where spirits are made; distillery

Word Origin for still

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 stilled

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]

still

n.1

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

still

"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.

still

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.

still

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.

Idioms and Phrases with stilled

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