still

1 of 6

adjective

1
a
: devoid of or abstaining from motion
b
archaic : 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
3
a
b
: free from noise or turbulence
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
2
: to arrest the motion of
3

still

3 of 6

adverb

1
: without motion
sit still
2
archaic
b
: in a progressive manner : increasingly
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
2
: a static photograph
specifically : a photograph of actors or scenes of a motion picture for publicity or documentary purposes

still

5 of 6

verb (2)

stilled; stilling; stills

still

6 of 6

noun (2)

1
2
: apparatus used in distillation comprising either the chamber in which the vaporization is carried out or the entire equipment

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. 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Image: OpenAI The model can also generate a video based on a still image, as well as fill in missing frames on an existing video or extend it. Emma Roth, The Verge, 15 Feb. 2024 The video quality is about on par with the still images. Sarah Lord, PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2024 That afternoon, however, Hodges joined the crowd massing in the West Plaza of the Capitol grounds, as shown in a still image from a publicly available video, the agent said in the complaint. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 2 Feb. 2024 Or, perhaps more specific, its appearance in a still image that quickly became an internet meme: a shot of Carmy in a back room, having a heated conversation. Soraya Roberts, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2024 Below the hill, beyond ranks of lemon and olive trees, the Gulf of Corinth lay ironed flat on a still day. Samanth Subramanian, WIRED, 5 Oct. 2023 Doctors in the emergency room scrambled to assess the newcomers and discovered the still body of an infant boy. Adam Rasgon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2023 While sharing the video, police pointed out gold decals on the motorcyclist’s helmet, tattoos on the man’s right arm, and zoomed in on a still image of the motorcyclist, which partially shows his face. Antonio Planas, NBC News, 3 Oct. 2023 Ahead of them, the race’s 55-mile course curled into the still pitch-black winter day. Ryan Lenora Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2023
Adverb
But Evans said the cause of the dangerous conditions — the state’s lack of long-term treatment centers for youths — is still a problem. Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024 Plot details are still under wraps, but Tom Hardy will return as the lethal protector Eddie Brock/Venom in the film, also starring Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Clark Backo. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 Plandemic: The Musical, for instance, shows people in a grocery store liberating themselves from face masks, a fantasy that depends on the premise that anyone is still forcing you to wear one. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2024 Better still, the Beach House comes with a yacht transfer rather than the speed boat (with a four night stay). Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024 How Israel’s restrictions on aid put Gaza on the brink of famine The health and hunger crisis is especially dire in the north, still home to some 300,000 people, where aid deliveries have effectively collapsed this year. Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Doorbell cameras and noise decibel monitors will still be allowed on Airbnb properties, but other outdoor cameras must be disclosed, including their location, before guests book the property. Chris Morris, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 Some 43% of Swedish households already have heat pumps, which is part of why Aira is targeting markets where heat pumps as a home-heating fix are still rare. Olivia Rudgard, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024 According to newspaper records, in August 1960, 38 primate residents escaped from this exhibit, and after two days, 36 were still on the run, swinging through the nearby treetops. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024
Noun
The decanter comes housed in a sculpture made of low carbon leather with a copper frame, which was crafted out of recycled metal from the distillery’s old stills. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024 Production stills, family photos, the three Fox brothers with their wives and kids. Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 As the story comes to a close, the action freezes into a still. Giovanni René Rodriguez, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Multiple arrests have already been made in the case, but officials were trying to identify a person who was held on the ground, according to photo stills. The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2024 The stills, shared on Instagram and geo-tagged as Gotham City, reveal stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga as the Joker and Harley Quinn in romantic situations. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2024 The low-budget result, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, became a viral sensation after stills from the film hit the internet in May 2022. Clark Collis, EW.com, 5 Feb. 2024 The eager cosmopolitan ingénue of the film stills is visible only in the rearview mirror. Nancy Princenthal, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024 Within the documentary, Porter extracts archival footage of his life, including 80 hours of performance clips, and over 2,000 stills. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 16 Jan. 2024
Verb
There's a touching scene between them where Lan asks if Moiraine has ever thought about suicide, as most Aes Sedai who are stilled end up killing themselves. Alex Raiman, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2023 The stilling subplot is entirely an invention of the show's. Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023 The first is the more in-universe one: few Aes Sedai have ever bothered studying the effects of being stilled. Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023 But the impractical value is likely larger; to be in the presence of a giant is for some reason calming—the air felt tranquil here, the sunlight scattered, the wind stilled. Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2023 His device sees what no naked human eye can apprehend: a bright white vortex of time elapsed, frame upon frame upon frame, at once stilled and in motion. Emily Labarge, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023 The holiday table wasn’t the same after that, the laughter in the house largely stilled. Lucy Sante, The New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2023 The candle flickered, the dust motes danced, one of our party wept, and even I was moved, my habitual skepticism for once stilled by the palpable tranquility of the place. Catherine Fairweather, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2023 My grandmother swayed like a hammock between us, then stilled. Elisa Gonzalez, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'still.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of still was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near still

Cite this Entry

“Still.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/still. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

still

1 of 5 adjective
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
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
2
: a still photograph

still

5 of 5 noun
1
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

Andrew Taylor 1828–1917 American founder of osteopathy

More from Merriam-Webster on still

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!