FluencyCraft

still

"Still" is a wonderfully flexible word in English — it works as an adjective, adverb, noun, and even a verb! Here are its most common and useful meanings.

1adverbcontinuing up to now

Use 'still' to say that something started in the past and has not stopped — it is ongoing right now. Think of it as a bridge connecting the past to the present moment.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

She still lives in the same house she grew up in.

I still don't understand why he left so suddenly.

Are you still working on that project?

2adverbeven so / nevertheless

You can use 'still' to show a contrast — something is true even though you might expect it not to be. It is similar to saying 'but even so' or 'despite that'.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

The weather was terrible, but we still had a great time.

He studied very little, and he still passed the exam.

I know it's expensive — still, I think it's worth it.

3adjectivenot moving / quiet

When something is 'still', it is completely calm and not moving at all. You can use it to describe a person, a place, water, or the air around you.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

The lake was perfectly still on that cold morning.

Please stay still while I take your photo.

The house was still and quiet after the children went to bed.

4adjectivenot fizzy (drinks)

When talking about water or other drinks, 'still' means it has no bubbles — the opposite of sparkling or fizzy. You will hear this a lot in restaurants and cafés.

food and drink · Modern, widely used

Would you like still or sparkling water?

I prefer still water — fizzy drinks bother my stomach.

She ordered a glass of still mineral water.

5nouna single photograph from a film

In film and photography, a 'still' is one single frozen image taken from a movie or video. Think of it as pressing the pause button and capturing that one frame as a photo.

film and photography · Modern, widely used

The magazine published a still from the new action film.

The director chose a dramatic still for the movie poster.

She collected stills from her favourite classic films.

6nouna device for making alcohol

A 'still' is a piece of equipment used to produce strong alcoholic drinks like whisky or brandy. It works by heating a liquid and collecting the vapour that comes off it. You will mostly hear this word in the context of distilleries.

food production / history · Modern, but also common in historical texts

The old distillery still had its original copper still from the 1800s.

Whisky gets much of its flavour from the shape of the still used to make it.

He set up an illegal still in his barn during Prohibition.

Content generated by AI — may contain inaccuracies