still
/stɪl/ (bre, ipa) · [stˈɪl] /stɪl/ (ame, ipa) · [stˈɪl] /ˈstil/ (ame, mw)
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.
Lea still has not finished packing for her trip to Japan.
- no longer
means a situation has stopped
- not anymore
more informal than 'no longer'
文法句型
still + present tense
still + present perfect
用法筆記
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').
常見錯誤
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.
The motel near the highway was dirty and noisy, but still it was the only room left that night.
- 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
文法句型
still used after concession clause
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
Lakshmi already had three projects to finish, and her manager assigned still more tasks this week.
文法句型
still + comparative adjective/adverb
still + more/less
用法筆記
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).
常見錯誤
❌ '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.'
still — adjective
- stillpositive
- stillercomparative
- stillestsuperlative
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.
The art student spent the afternoon painting a still life of apples and a wine bottle.
- 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
文法句型
be + still
keep/hold/stand + still
still + noun
用法筆記
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).
常見錯誤
❌ '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.
- 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
文法句型
still + drink noun
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
❌ '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
- stillpresent simple I / you / we / they
- stills3rd person singular
- stilling-ing form
- stilledpast simple
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.
Taking slow, deep breaths helped Mei still the trembling in her hands before the exam.
文法句型
still + noun
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
❌ '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
- stillsingular
- stillsplural
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.
- 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
文法句型
still + of + noun
film still
movie still
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
❌ '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.
- 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
文法句型
the still of + noun
in the still of
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
❌ '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.
Customs officers discovered an illegal whisky still hidden in a barn behind the old farmhouse.
文法句型
still + for + noun
whisky still
moonshine still
用法筆記
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).
常見錯誤
❌ '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'.