From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstillstill1 /stɪl/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb 1 STILLused when saying that something continues to be the same as before, or has not happened yet He still lives with his parents. Do you still have Julie’s phone number? I still haven’t finished painting the spare room.GRAMMAR: Word order• Still comes before a main verb: The system still works.I still love you.• Still comes after ‘am’, ‘ is’, ‘was’ etc: I’m still angry.It was still dark outside.She is still not ready. • Still can come before the verb ‘be’ when it is part of a contraction such as ‘isn’t’ or ‘wasn’t’: She still isn’t ready.• Still comes after the first auxiliary verb in positive sentences: I can still remember them.The marks can still be seen.• Still comes before the first auxiliary verb in negative sentences: I still can’t remember his name.We still do not know exactly what happened.2 DESPITEin spite of what has just been said or done Clare didn’t do much work, but she still passed the exam.[sentence adverb] The hotel was terrible. Still, we were lucky with the weather.3 → still more/further/another/other4 → better/harder/worse etc still
Examples from the Corpus
still• At the age of 50, Marlene was still a beautiful woman.• Because from my point of view it's still a total flop.• Though employment growth is down, the area is still attracting health care, high tech, banking and sports-related industries.• Occasional gunshots can still be heard, though no one seems to know who fires the guns and if anyone is hit.• Every time he turned, the ghost turned too, and was still behind him.• He's been studying French for five years, and still can't speak the language.• I'm still confused. Would you explain it again?• Are you still going out with that guy you met at Heather's party?• She still has that rusty old car.• Do you still have her phone number?• I think John is still in medical school.• Traffic was bad, but we still made it to the movie on time.• Soloviov returned to the town where he was born after more than forty years and found his old house still standing.• The Club is still the focal point of his life.• After two hours the dog was still there, just sitting and staring at our door.• You still think of the mountains.• But I still want to know, how do you judge a character?ldoce_318_bstillstill2 ●●● S3 adjective 1 NOT MOVINGnot moving We stood still and watched as the deer came closer. Keep still while I tie your shoe. the still waters of the lake2 PEACEFULquiet and calm The house was completely still.3 HEMnot windy a hot still day4 British EnglishDFD a still drink does not contain gas still or sparkling mineral water5 → still waters run deep —stillness noun [uncountable] Somewhere in the stillness of the night, an owl hooted.Examples from the Corpus
still• For once, the house was completely still.• Percy was so thrilled he could hardly sit still.• There was no wind and the trees were completely still.• a hot, still, airless day• The memory was a series of still images, a film broken down to components.• Everything was very still inside the little chapel. Nothing broke the silence.• It was another still island day and I could hear the sounds of a motorbike and chainsaw on the mainland.• Would you like that still or sparkling, madam?• a still pond• It was a long, hot, still September afternoon.• Anna looked out across the still waters of the lake.• Keep still while I tie your shoes.stood still• But agriculture has not stood still.• Only Auguste did not notice until in unladylike fashion she placed herself directly in his path and stood still.• But, although Ashley stood still and wary, her son showed no inhibitions.• Holmes stood still, apparently in deep thought, as the Viscount paced nervously about.• But it got to a point where we stood still for too long and the world around us was changing.• I have stood still instead of fighting on her side as I did in the basement in Lobethal.• He stood still, not daring to move, unable to break away.• Time may not have stood still there, but it was close.still day• Although it was early, it was already a hot, still day.• The putting surfaces are large undulating and marble quick, even on a rare still day.• It is mature and spontaneous utterance falling like ripe leaves on a still day in the fall of the year.• These were still days of innovation.stillstill3 noun [countable] 1 AMFa photograph of a scene from a film2 DFDa piece of equipment for making alcoholic drinks from grain or potatoes3 → the still of the night/evening etcExamples from the Corpus
still• I also have stills taken on the set as a movie was being made.• There was Mark, who worked as assistant director, and did all the stills photography.stillstill4 verb literary 1 CALM[intransitive, transitive] to stop moving, or make something stop moving The ground beneath them trembled, then stilled.2 [intransitive, transitive] if a noise stills or is stilled, it stops The murmurs stilled. He stilled their protests with a wave of his hands.3 CALM[transitive] if a doubt or fear is stilled, it becomes weaker or goes away→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
still• When Nicandra came into the morning room, the air was stilled for a moment.Origin still2 Old English stille still3 1. (1600-1700) → STILL22. (1500-1600) distill 