still

The word "still" has a few common uses, and they show up in everyday English all the time. It can mean not moving, as in "Please hold still" or "The water was completely still." It can also mean that something continues up to now, as in "She still lives there" or "Are you still waiting?"

Sometimes it links two ideas and means something like "even so." You might say, "It was raining. Still, we went for a walk." It also appears in phrases like "still life," the name for a painting or photo of objects that do not move. Small word, many jobs.

The word "still" is used in several important ways, and the meaning depends on the sentence around it. One very common meaning is not moving or not making noise. A child may be told to "sit still." A room can feel still after everyone leaves. A lake on a windless morning can look still and smooth. In these cases, the word suggests calm, silence, or a lack of movement.

Another very common use means that something continues now, often longer than expected. If someone says, "I still remember that day," the memory has not gone away. If you ask, "Are they still here?" you are asking whether they have remained until now. This is one of the most frequent uses in daily English.

"Still" can also connect two ideas and mean "even so" or "despite that." For example: "The trip was long. Still, we had a good time." Here, it introduces a contrast, but in a softer way than "however" sometimes does.

The word also appears in a few fixed expressions. A "still life" is a painting or photograph of objects such as fruit, flowers, or bottles. In older or more literary English, you may see phrases like "the still of the night," where it means deep quiet.

So this word often moves between three main ideas: no movement, continued action or state, and contrast. That range is what makes it such a useful and common part of English.