still
still Lexical Profile
still Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not moving or making a sound; deep in silence and calm.
"The lake was completely still as the sun began to rise over the horizon."
Not carbonated or effervescent (especially of a beverage).
"I prefer still water rather than sparkling when I eat dinner."
• adverb
Up to and including the present or the time mentioned; ongoing.
"She is still working on the final chapter of her thesis."
Used to emphasize a comparative adjective or adverb.
"The storm grew still more destructive as it approached the coast."
• conjunction
Nevertheless; yet; in spite of what has just been said.
"The weather was terribly cold; still, we decided to go for our morning walk."
• noun
An ordinary static photograph, especially one taken from a movie and used for promotional purposes.
"The director released a few promotional stills to build anticipation for the upcoming blockbuster."
A deep, quiet calm or silence.
"In the still of the night, the smallest sounds seemed incredibly loud."
An apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures, particularly for manufacturing spirits or essential oils.
"During Prohibition, illegal operations often hid a copper still in the deep woods to produce moonshine."
• verb
To make or become calm, quiet, or motionless.
"He raised a hand and stilled the restless crowd before beginning his speech."
To allay, soothe, or settle (fears, anxieties, or an emotional state).
"The doctor's reassuring words finally stilled her deep anxieties about the surgery."
Word Nuance & Usage
For English learners, 'still' emphasizes an action continuing longer than expected, whereas 'yet' emphasizes an expectation of an action that has not occurred, and 'already' indicates an action that happened sooner than expected.
• Rhymes for still
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'stille' (adjective) meaning 'motionless or quiet', of Germanic origin. The noun sense referring to a distilling apparatus derives separately from the Latin 'stillare', meaning 'to drip'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.