What does still mean?
Still is a versatile English word with several related meanings. As an adjective, it describes something that is motionless, quiet, or unchanged, as in 'the still water' or 'a still night'. As an adverb, it can mean that something continues at a particular time, as in 'he is still waiting', or that a contrasting fact is true despite an apparent obstacle, as in 'still, it was worth trying'. As a noun, 'a still' refers to a moment or state of calm, especially in formal or literary writing. It can also function as a verb meaning to make something quiet or motionless. The word is especially useful because the same form can express physical stillness, temporal continuity, and concession, giving it a calm but determined connotation.
Free from movement, activity, or noise; calm and unchanging.
"A still lake reflected the evening sky."
The adjective is often used for water, air, faces, or moments of quiet and stillness.
Continuing in the same state or at the same point in time; nevertheless, despite everything.
"The letter arrived late, but it was still useful."
The concessive use is common in both formal and informal registers.
A state or period of complete calm, silence, or motionlessness.
"The room fell into a profound still."
This sense is more literary and formal than the common adjective and adverb meanings.
To make or become calm, quiet, or motionless.
"She tried to still the restless crowd with a raised hand."
This is less common in everyday speech and often appears in formal or literary contexts.
The word still can describe both complete physical motionlessness and time that has refused to move on, making it a compact expression for calm, continuity, and resistance to change.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does still come from?
The word comes from Old English still, meaning calm or motionless, which developed from a Germanic root associated with standing or remaining fixed. In the Middle English period it was used both for physical stillness and for emotional calm. Its Germanic relatives appear in words such as stall and stilt, while related forms in other Germanic languages preserve similar senses of calm or fixedness. The modern meanings involving continuation and concession developed through the idea of something remaining in the same condition.
Related word forms
How still is actually used
In its common adverbial sense of 'nevertheless', still is widely used in formal and informal English. The adjective 'still' can suggest both physical motionlessness and emotional calm. The noun is literary or formal in tone, while 'stand still' and 'keep still' are common fixed expressions.
Easily confused with still
Still means motionless or unchanged, whereas stale means old-fashioned or no longer fresh.
Still describes the absence of movement or disturbance, while silence more specifically refers to the absence of sound.