still
still — adverb
1. used to say that something begun in the past continues into the present without
used to say that something begun in the past continues into the present without stopping or changing
Rachid still lives with his parents while he finishes his degree.
still + present simple for continuing situation
Do you still have that old bicycle your grandfather gave you?
The pharmacy was still open when I drove past at midnight.
Even after moving abroad, Hana still calls her grandmother every Sunday evening.
still with fronted concessive clause for continuing action
Lea still has not finished packing for her trip to Japan.
still + present perfect negative for unfinished action
- still + present simple
- still + present perfect
- still + be
- no longer
means a situation has stopped
- not anymore
more informal than 'no longer'
Grammar Patterns
still + present tense
still + present perfect
Usage Note
Still comes before the main verb but after the verb be (e.g. 'He is still sleeping' not 'He still is sleeping'). In negatives it goes before 'has/have/had not' (e.g. 'I still have not heard back').
Common Mistakes
2. used to emphasise that something is true despite the difficulty, obstacle, or co
used to emphasise that something is true despite the difficulty, obstacle, or contrasting fact just mentioned
The weather was terrible, but we still enjoyed our walk along the beach.
still after 'but' for contrast
Femi trained for months, yet he still lost the race by a small margin.
Mei asked her landlord to fix the leaky pipe last week, but she still has not heard back from him.
I told Tara the truth and she still chose not to believe me.
still showing unexpected outcome despite prior action
The motel near the highway was dirty and noisy, but still it was the only room left that night.
- but + still
- still + not
- still + anyway
- nevertheless
more formal; used mostly in writing
- nonetheless
formal; common in academic and professional contexts
- yet
similar concessive meaning but placed differently in the sentence
Grammar Patterns
still used after concession clause
Usage Note
Often follows a clause with 'although', 'though', 'despite', or 'in spite of', or appears after 'but' in the second clause. The sentence carries a concessive meaning: the first part says why something should not be true, and the second part (with still) affirms that it is.
Common Mistakes
3. used before a comparative to emphasise that something is even more — or even les
used before a comparative to emphasise that something is even more — or even less — than before
Monday's maths test was difficult, but Friday's quiz was harder still.
still placed after comparative adjective
Jude is 180 centimetres tall, and his cousin Ming is taller still at nearly 190.
If we miss the 8:15 express to Kaohsiung, we will have to wait even longer still.
Beatriz could barely afford the rent, and food prices rose still higher.
still + comparative adverb (higher) for intensifying
Lakshmi already had three projects to finish, and her manager assigned still more tasks this week.
still more + noun — intensifying the amount already mentioned
- still better
- still worse
- still higher
- still more
- still less
- worse still
- better still
Grammar Patterns
still + comparative adjective/adverb
still + more/less
Usage Note
Can appear either before the comparative ('still higher', 'still worse') or after it ('higher still', 'worse still'). The post-position is more emphatic. Do not use with superlatives — 'still the best' means something different (continuing to be the best, not even more the best).
Common Mistakes
❌ 'It is still the best option but not by much.' (using sense 2 DESPITE when meaning GREATER DEGREE) — if you mean 'even more the best', restructure: 'It is the best option, and still better than the rest.'
This phrase means that it is too soon to know what will happen in the future.
The project just started, so it's still early days for us.
It's early days yet, but Maya already loves her new job.
much/still less
idiomThis phrase is used to emphasize that something is even less true or likely than what was just mentioned.
Brian can't afford a bike, much less a car.
Sara didn't even say hello, still less apologize for being late.
still — adjective
1. completely without motion or sound; describes a person, animal, object, or place
completely without motion or sound; describes a person, animal, object, or place that is not moving or making noise
The children sat still while the photographer took their picture.
sit still — common verb + still pattern
The surface of the lake was perfectly still, reflecting the mountains.
still water / still surface — describes body of water
Rachid held the camera still to avoid a blurry photograph.
The morning air was still, and not a single leaf moved on the trees.
still air — describes calm weather
The art student spent the afternoon painting a still life of apples and a wine bottle.
still life — fixed compound noun for a genre of art
- sit still
- stand still
- keep still
- stay still
- hold still
- lie still
- still water
- still air
- still life
- motionless
more formal; can describe a person, animal, or object not moving at all
- stationary
technical; describes objects, vehicles, or machinery not moving
- calm
describes water, weather, or a person's state; overlaps but emphasises peacefulness rather than absence of motion
- tranquil
more poetic; describes a peaceful environment
- quiet
emphasises absence of sound rather than absence of movement
Grammar Patterns
be + still
keep/hold/stand + still
still + noun
Usage Note
Frequently used after verbs like 'sit', 'stand', 'stay', 'keep', 'hold', 'lie', 'remain' to mean 'without moving'. The phrase 'still life' is a fixed compound noun (not hyphenated) for a painting genre. 'Still water' can mean either calm water or non-carbonated drinking water — context and the sense depend on whether it describes a lake (sense 1) or a drink (sense 2).
Common Mistakes
❌ 'The still water in the bottle is warm.' (if you mean non-carbonated) — this uses sense 2 (NOT FIZZY) correctly, but a learner using sense 1 (NOT MOVING) might confuse it. Check context: bottled water → sense 2; lake → sense 1.
2. describes a drink that does not contain bubbles or gas; the opposite of sparklin
describes a drink that does not contain bubbles or gas; the opposite of sparkling or fizzy
Joaquín ordered a bottle of still water with his meal.
still water — most common use of this sense
Would you like sparkling or still mineral water with dinner?
still vs sparkling — the key contrast
My grandmother always buys still orange juice because fizzy drinks upset her stomach.
The restaurant only serves still wine, not the sparkling kind.
still wine — fixed term for non-sparkling wine
- still water
- still wine
- still drink
- still mineral water
- still orange juice
- non-carbonated
formal; used on labels and descriptions
- flat
used for a drink that used to have bubbles but lost them
- non-sparkling
formal; describes wine specifically
Grammar Patterns
still + drink noun
Usage Note
Primarily British English. In American English, 'flat' is more common for drinks that have lost their fizz, while 'still water' is understood but 'non-carbonated water' or 'tap water' is often used. 'Still wine' is the standard international term for wine without bubbles.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'I need some still air to breathe.' (confusing senses) — 'still air' means calm, unmoving air (sense 1), not 'fresh air'. For drinks, always use 'still' with a drink noun: 'still water', 'still wine', 'still lemonade'.
still — verb
1. to make someone or something become quiet, calm, and no longer in motion
to make someone or something become quiet, calm, and no longer in motion
The mother gently stilled her crying baby by singing softly.
still + crying baby — calming a person
Christopher tried to still his racing heart before the interview.
still + heart / pulse / fears — emotional calming
The police officer raised his hand to still the noisy crowd.
still + crowd — stopping movement or noise
Taking slow, deep breaths helped Mei still the trembling in her hands before the exam.
- still one's fears
- still one's heart
- still a baby
- still a crowd
- still one's trembling
Grammar Patterns
still + noun
Usage Note
Less common than the adjective or adverb uses of 'still'. More frequent in written and literary English than in everyday conversation. Often used with emotions (fears, worries, heart, pulse) or physical agitation (trembling, crying, shaking). In modern spoken English, 'calm down', 'quiet', or 'soothe' are more common.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'He stilled himself before speaking.' — grammatically correct but awkward; 'He took a breath to calm himself before speaking' is more natural.
❌ 'The medicine stilled her pain.' — 'still' is not typically used for physical pain; use 'eased' or 'relieved' instead.
still — noun
1. a single photograph taken from a film or TV programme, used as a promotional or
a single photograph taken from a film or TV programme, used as a promotional or editorial image
The magazine printed a still from the new science-fiction film.
still from [film] — typical collocation
Darius collected film stills of his favourite actors from the 1960s.
The animation studio selected the final frame of episode three as its main promotional still.
The exhibition featured black-and-white stills from classic movies.
black-and-white stills — adjective + stills for description
- film still
- movie still
- still from
- promotional still
- publicity still
- black-and-white stills
- frame
a single image from a film, but usually one of the many that make up the moving sequence, not a selected promotional image
- photograph
general term; 'still' is more specific to cinema
Grammar Patterns
still + of + noun
film still
movie still
Usage Note
Countable noun — 'a still' or 'stills'. Not the same as 'screenshot' (a digital capture of a computer screen). A 'film still' is an official promotional photograph, usually taken by a unit photographer during filming.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'I took a still of my computer screen.' — For digital screen captures, use 'screenshot' or 'screen grab', not 'still'. 'Still' is only for film/television images.
2. a period or state of deep quietness and calm, especially when there is no moveme
a period or state of deep quietness and calm, especially when there is no movement, no wind, and no sound
In the still of the night, she could hear her own heartbeat.
in the still of the night — common literary phrase
The still of the forest was broken only by birdsong.
Sophia enjoyed the early-morning still before the city woke up.
A sudden shout shattered the still of the empty library.
shattered / broke the still — verb + still pattern
- the still of the night
- the still of the evening
- the still of the forest
- the still of the morning
- break the still
- shatter the still
- stillness
more common than 'still'; used in everyday contexts
- silence
emphasises absence of sound more than absence of movement
- calm
broader; describes peaceful conditions generally
- tranquility
formal; describes a deep, lasting peace
- noise
opposite of quietness
- commotion
noisy activity or confusion
- turbulence
violent or unsteady movement
Grammar Patterns
the still of + noun
in the still of
Usage Note
Uncountable — used as a singular mass noun ('the still'). Usually appears in literary or descriptive writing, often in the fixed phrase 'the still of the night'. The common adverb 'stillness' is more frequent in everyday use.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'There was a still in the room.' — 'still' (uncountable) is not used this way for a quiet atmosphere in a room. Use 'stillness' or 'silence': 'There was a deep stillness in the room.'
3. a device used to make strong alcoholic drinks by heating a liquid until it becom
a device used to make strong alcoholic drinks by heating a liquid until it becomes vapour and then cooling it back to liquid
The distillery uses a copper still that has been running for fifty years.
copper still — common material + still collocation
Lakan watched the whisky still as the clear liquid dripped into the barrel.
Kiran watched the distiller load the copper pot still with juniper berries and grain alcohol.
pot still — specific type of distilling equipment
Customs officers discovered an illegal whisky still hidden in a barn behind the old farmhouse.
- copper still
- pot still
- column still
- whisky still
- moonshine still
- steam still
- vacuum still
Grammar Patterns
still + for + noun
whisky still
moonshine still
Usage Note
This sense has a different historical origin from the other senses (from Latin 'stilla' meaning 'a drop'). In modern English it is a specialist term used mostly in whisky, gin, and rum production contexts. 'Pot still' and 'column still' are the two main types. Do not confuse with the more common 'still' (adverb/adjective).
Common Mistakes
❌ 'He poured the drink from the still.' — acceptable but ambiguous; better to say 'poured from the bottle' or 'poured from the distilling apparatus' to avoid confusion with 'still' meaning 'without movement'.
❌ 'The still needs to be cleaned.' — correct but without context a reader may think of 'still' (QUIET SILENCE) or 'still' (STILL PHOTO). Always provide disambiguating context like 'whisky still' or 'copper still'.
Word family
- stillnessnounB2
- stillyadjectiveC2
- unstilledadjectiveC2
- distillverbC1
- distillerynounC1
- distillernounC1
- still lifenounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All four words describe absence of movement or disturbance, but they differ in scope and tone. 'Motionless' is the most literal — it describes a person, animal, or object completely without physical movement ('the cat sat motionless, watching the bird'). 'Stationary' is more technical and typically describes vehicles, machines, or objects that are not in motion ('the car remained stationary at the traffic light'); it is less natural for people or living things. 'Calm' overlaps with 'still' but emphasises peacefulness rather than the absence of motion itself — you can feel calm while walking, but you cannot be still while walking. 'Calm' also applies to weather and emotions ('the sea was calm'). 'Tranquil' is the most poetic and formal; it describes an environment that is deeply peaceful and undisturbed ('a tranquil garden by the lake'). For describing a person sitting without moving, 'still' and 'motionless' are the best choices; for describing the atmosphere of a place, 'calm' or 'tranquil' fit better.
Common collocations
Nouns
- still water
- still air
- still life
- film still
- whisky still
- copper still
- the still of the night
Adverbs
- still quite
- still very
- still barely
- still just
- still perfectly
Phrases
- still and all
- still going
- still in one piece
- still waters run deep
Prepositions
- at still
- in still
- of still
Etymology
The word 'still' comes from two distinct historical sources that merged into the same modern spelling. The common senses — 'not moving' (adjective), 'continuing' (adverb), and 'calm' (verb) — come from Old English 'stille', meaning 'motionless, fixed, calm, quiet'. This word goes back to Proto-Germanic 'stillijan' and further to Proto-Indo-European 'stel-' ('to put, stand'). It is related to 'stall' (a fixed position) and 'stolid'. The noun sense meaning 'a distilling apparatus' comes from a different root: Latin 'stilla' ('a drop'), through Old French 'stillier' ('to distill, drip'). The two words were originally pronounced differently but became identical in spelling and pronunciation over time.