still

1 of 6

adjective

ˈstil 

1

a

: devoid of or abstaining from motion

The cat twitched slightly and then was still.

The air was still.

b

: sedentary

c

: not effervescent

still wine

d(1)

: of, relating to, or being a static photograph as contrasted with a motion picture

(2)

: designed for taking still photographs

a still camera

(3)

: engaged in taking still photographs

a still photographer

2

a

: uttering no sound : quiet

b

: subdued, muted

a still small voice

3

a

: calm, tranquil

a still lake

b

: free from noise or turbulence

After everyone left the house was still.

stillness noun

still

2 of 6

verb (1)

stilled; stilling; stills

intransitive verb

: to become motionless or silent : quiet

transitive verb

1

a

: allay, calm

stilled their nerves

b

: to put an end to : settle

The report has not stilled debate.

2

: to arrest the motion of

rivers stilled by dams

3

: silence

still

3 of 6

adverb

1

: without motion

sit still

2

archaic

a

: always, continually

b

: in a progressive manner : increasingly

moving still closer

3

—used as a function word to indicate the continuance of an action or condition

still lives there

drink it while it's still hot

4

: in spite of that : nevertheless

those who take the greatest care still make mistakes

5

a

: even sense 1b

a still more difficult problem

heavier still

b

: yet sense 1a

has still to be recognized

still

4 of 6

noun (1)

1

: quiet, silence

2

: a static photograph

specifically : a photograph of actors or scenes of a movie for publicity or documentary purposes

still

5 of 6

verb (2)

stilled; stilling; stills

: distill

still

6 of 6

noun (2)

1

: distillery

2

: apparatus used in distillation comprising either the chamber in which the vaporization is carried out or the entire equipment

Synonyms of still

Adjective

• quiet
• peaceful
• serene

Verb (1)

• stop
• halt
• catch
• stall
• stay
• check

Adverb

• quietly

Noun (1)

• quiet
• restfulness
• serenity
• quietness
• sereneness
• calm

Examples of still in a Sentence

Adjective

The cat twitched slightly, and then was still.

Everyone had left, and the house was finally still.

a class in still photography

They had still and fizzy drinks.

Verb (1)

it seemed as though nothing could still the fighting

reading a book helps me to relax and still my mind before going to bed

the conversation was abruptly stilled by a loud crash from the next room

Adverb

Sit still. It'll just take a minute.

the cat sat absolutely still, watching as the mouse began to make its way across the floor

Noun (1)

in the still of the forest he could relax and forget his worries

a loud noise shattered the still of the night

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Beazley showed a still image of the man to a firm supervisor. —James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026

Local artists will lead sketching still-life arrangements of skulls, seed pods, turtle shells, tree bark, greens and fruit. —Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2026

Verb

And stills the curiosity, communication, and debate on which any self-aware democracy depends. —Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026

Suddenly, the noise in their home stilled. —Ryan Oehrli updated February 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026

Adverb

After being exposed to temperatures as low as -22°F for 24 hours, the system can still recharge from 20 percent to 97 percent in about 12 minutes. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 6 Mar. 2026

Attorneys for Meta say the company discloses risks and makes efforts to weed out harmful content and experiences -- acknowledging that some bad material still gets through its safety net. —Morgan Lee The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026

Noun

The rear camera supports Apple ProRes capture and features a True Tone flash for enhanced low-light performance in stills. —Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026

Other stills show Russell with Fox fly-fishing in a stream in Montana. —Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English stille, from Old English; akin to Old High German stilli still and perhaps to Old English steall stall — more at stall

Verb (2)

Middle English stillen, short for distillen to distill

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing still

• pot still
• sit still
• still alarm
• still and all
• still-hunt
• still less
• still life
• still photograph
• still water
• still waters run deep
• stock-still
• the still of the night

Rhymes for still

• bill
• brill
• chill
• drill
• fil
• fill
• frill
• gill
• grill
• grille
• jill
• kill

Kids Definition

still

1 of 5 adjective

ˈstil 

1

a

: not moving

lying quiet and still

b

: of, relating to, or being an ordinary photograph rather than a motion picture

2

: uttering no sound : quiet

3

a

: tranquil, calm

b

: free from noise or commotion : peaceful

stillness noun

still

2 of 5 verb

1

a

: to make quiet : calm

still their fears

b

: to put to an end : settle

2

: to make or become motionless or silent : quiet

still

3 of 5 adverb

1

: without motion

sit still

2

: up to this or that time

still lives there

while it's still hot

3

: in spite of that : nevertheless

those who take care can still make mistakes

4

a

: even entry 3 sense 4

a still more difficult problem

b

: beyond this : in addition, yet

won still another tournament

still

4 of 5 noun

1

: quiet entry 1, silence

2

: a still photograph

still

5 of 5 noun

1

: distillery

2

: a device used in distillation

Etymology

Adjective

Old English stille "not moving"

Noun

from earlier still (verb) "to distill," from Middle English stillen, a shortened form of distillen "to distill"

Biographical Definition

Still

biographical name

ˈstil 

Andrew Taylor 1828–1917 American founder of osteopathy