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
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The Suffix -ness, Part 1
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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.
"It's about reminding us that we're harvesting some things, but we need to wait. We need to wait in stillness."
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
She adds that Reynolds has “a stillness, an economy of movement and an economy of expression that I find so striking.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Refn: How to provoke the soul is through stillness and silence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Then by 2½ minutes, slower-frequency theta waves related to deep inner stillness increased.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
“Hello, Cadet Mason,” Mom said, her voice too loud in the early-morning stillness.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
