still

1 /stIl/ adverb

1 up to a particular point in time and continuing at that moment: Do you still play tennis? | With 30 minutes still to go, neither team had scored.

2 in 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. | still and all (=all the same): Still and all, you have to admire her.

3 even more extreme than the situation or thing that you have just described: It's cold today, but it'll be still colder tonight. | The first question is very difficult, and the second is more difficult still.

4 still more/another/other etc even more in amount: There were still more reasons why the programme shouldn't go ahead.

USAGE NOTE: STILL WORD CHOICE: still, already, yet Still suggests surprise that something has continued for longer than you might expect: After fifty lessons I still can't drive very well. Already is usually used in positive sentences to express surprise that something has happened earlier than you thought it would: Are they here already? Yet is used in negatives and questions to talk about things that you expect to happen, but have not happened or might not have happened: I haven't had breakfast yet.|Has Bill | Has Bill arrived yet? Compare yet with already in a question. Have you had lunch yet? asks for information, while Have you had your lunch already? expresses surprise that lunch has already been eaten. Yet used instead of still in a positive sentence is rare and a little formal: We have yet to hear the truth. | The Council may yet surprise us. In conversation, however, you are more likely to say something like: We don't know the truth yet. GRAMMAR Still usually comes immediately before any negative word: She still isn't ready. | They still don't know. | A solution has still not been found (or ...still hasn't, NOT ...has not still). Still usually comes immediately after a positive modal verb: I can still remember (NOT still can remember).).| He may still be there (or ...be still there...). Otherwise still comes after the verb to be and immediately before any main verb: He's still eating (NOT still is eating).| It's still wet outside. | We still have time. (NOT have still time).).| I still love her. 2 adjective

1 not moving: a still pool | keep/stand/lie etc still: Keep still while I tie your shoe.

2 not windy: a hot, still, airless day

3 quiet, calm, and without any activity: It was so still you could have heard a pin drop.

4 BrE a still drink does not contain gas

5 stillwaters run deep used to say that someone who is quiet may have very strong feelings or a lot of knowledge

— stillness noun (U) 3 noun (C)

1 a photograph of a scene from a cinema film

2 a piece of equipment for making alcoholic drinks out of grain or potatoes

3 the still of the night/evening etc literary the calm and quiet of the night etc

4 verb (T) literary

1 to make someone or something become quiet or calm: The food stilled the baby's cries.

2 if a doubt or fear is stilled, it becomes weaker or goes away