Dictionary

stillness en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈstɪlnəs/

Etymology

From Middle English stilnesse, from Old English stilnes (“stillness, quiet; absence of noise or disturbance, release, relaxation; silence, abstention from speech; absence of disturbance or molestation, tranquility, peace, security; that which appeases”), equivalent to still + -ness.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The quality or state of being still.
   • The teru-tero (Vanellus cayanensis), is another bird, which often disturbs the stillness of the night. 1839, Charles Darwin, Journal and remarks: 1832-1836, volume 3, page 133:
   • It resembled them in the sense that it was not ended, when it was past, but continued to unfold, in Watt's head, from beginning to end, over and over again, the complex connexions of its lights and shadows, the passing from silence to sound and from sound to silence, the stillness before the movement and the stillness after, the quickenings and retardings, the approaches and the separations, all the shifting detail of its march and ordinance, according to the irrevocable caprice of its taking place. 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:
2. (countable, uncountable) Habitual silence or quiet; taciturnity.
   • The grauitie, and ſtillneſſe of your youth / The world hath noted. c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 320:
   • Like a heartbeat drives you mad / In the stillness of remembering what you had / And what you lost 1977, Stevie Nicks, “Dreams”, in Rumours, performed by Fleetwood Mac:

Forms

Synonyms

motionlessness · inactivity · quietness · calmness · inertia · silence

Translations (13)

ml നിശ്ചലത (quality or state of being still) · bg тишина (quality or state of being still) · grc ἡσυχία (quality or state of being still) · bg спокойствие (quality or state of being still) · fr immobilité (quality or state of being still) · it immobilità (quality or state of being still) · fr calme (quality or state of being still) · de Stille (quality or state of being still) · eo senmoveco (quality or state of being still) · sv stillhet (quality or state of being still) · cy llonyddwch (quality or state of being still) · ca calma (quality or state of being still) · cs klid (quality or state of being still)