Stillness — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈstil/

Meaning & Definition of Stillness

Stillness (adjective)

  1. devoid of or abstaining from motion
  2. sedentary
  3. not effervescent

Stillness (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a state of freedom from storm or disturbance

    "dozing in the warm stillness of a summer afternoon"

    similar: calm, calmness, hush, peace, peacefulness, placidity, quiet, quietness, quietude, repose, restfulness, sereneness, serenity, still, tranquility
    related: lull, pause, respite, silence, mildness, soothingness, comity, concord, harmony, casualness, easygoingness, informality, laid-backness, relaxedness
    opposite: bustle, commotion, hubbub, hurly-burly, pandemonium, tumult, turmoil, unquietness, unrest, uproar
    near: clamor, din, noise, racket

  2. incapacity for or restraint from speaking

    "from the couple's tense stillness I sensed that they had been quarreling just before I arrived"

    similar: muteness, silence, speechlessness
    related: inarticulacy, inarticulateness, voicelessness, reserve, reticence, reticency, taciturnity
    near: communication, speaking, talking, eloquence, fluency, volubility, chattiness, garrulousness, loquaciousness, loquacity, talkativeness, talkiness, verboseness, verbosity, windiness, wordiness

  3. the near or complete absence of sound

    "the only thing that broke the stillness of the garden was the droning of a bee"

    similar: hush, quiet, quietness, quietude, silence, still
    related: calm, lull, peace, peacefulness, tranquility
    opposite: noise, sound, unquietness
    near: babel, blare, bluster, cacophony, chatter, clamor, clangor, din, hubbub, racket, rattle, roar, tumult, uproar

Related Entry: Still (adjective)

Still is a different word from Stillness. The synonyms below are for still, not for stillness.

  1. free from disturbing noise or uproar

    "the town's streets are usually still and peopleless in the early morning hours"

    similar: arcadian, calm, hushed, peaceful, placid, quiet, restful, serene, stilly, tranquil
    related: noiseless, silent, soundless, mute, speechless, wordless, dead, motionless, quiescent, muffled, muted, quieted, dull, gentle, low, soft, ultraquiet
    opposite: boisterous, clamorous, clattery, deafening, loud, noisy, raucous, rip-roaring, roistering, romping, rowdy, tumultuous, unquiet, uproarious, woolly
    near: crazy, tempestuous, wild, blaring, blasting, booming, earsplitting, piercing, roaring, thundering, thunderous

  2. free from storms or physical disturbance

    "the air was ominously still as dark clouds gathered in the distance"

    similar: calm, halcyon, hushed, lown (dialect), peaceful, placid, quiet, serene, stilly, tranquil, untroubled
    related: balmy, clement, equable, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate, clear, cloudless, fair, rainless, sunny, sunshiny, windless
    opposite: agitated, angry, inclement, restless, rough, stormy, tempestuous, turbulent, unquiet, unsettled
    near: blizzardy, blustery, squally, windy, extreme, foul, intemperate, nasty, severe

  3. mostly or entirely without sound

    "in his paintings Paul Gauguin depicts a still tropical paradise inhabited by mute and motionless natives"

    similar: hushed, muted, noiseless, quiet, quieted, silent, soundless, stilly
    related: calm, peaceable, peaceful, serene, tranquil
    opposite: noisy, rackety, unquiet, uproarious
    near: boisterous, clamorous, clangorous, clattering, clattery, raucous, rip-roaring, roaring, roistering, tumultuous

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Stillness

The most common words with a similar meaning to Stillness:

calm, calmness, hush, peace, peacefulness, placidity, quiet, quietness, quietude, repose, restfulness, sereneness, serenity, still, tranquility, muteness, silence, speechlessness

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Stillness

Words with the opposite meaning of Stillness:

bustle, commotion, hubbub, hurly-burly, pandemonium, tumult, turmoil, unquietness, unrest, uproar, noise, sound

Related Words for Stillness

lull, pause, respite, mildness, soothingness, comity, concord, harmony, casualness, easygoingness, informality, laid-backness, relaxedness, inarticulacy, inarticulateness, voicelessness, reserve, reticence, reticency, taciturnity

Near Antonyms of Stillness

clamor, din, racket, communication, speaking, talking, eloquence, fluency, volubility, chattiness, garrulousness, loquaciousness, loquacity, talkativeness, talkiness, verboseness, verbosity, windiness, wordiness, babel, blare, bluster, cacophony, chatter, clangor, rattle, roar

Word Forms of Stillness

Derived words: stillness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Stillness

Middle English stille, from Old English; akin to Old High German stilli still and perhaps to Old English steall stall stall

First known use: before 12th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Stillness

What does "Stillness" mean?

"Stillness" means devoid of or abstaining from motion. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: devoid of or abstaining from motion. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Stillness"?

Other words for "Stillness" include calm, calmness, hush, peace, peacefulness, placidity, quiet and quietness. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Stillness" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Stillness"?

There are 38 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Stillness". Common alternatives include calm, calmness, hush, peace, peacefulness, placidity, quiet, quietness, quietude and repose.

What is the opposite of "Stillness"?

Antonyms of "Stillness" include bustle, commotion, hubbub, hurly-burly, pandemonium, tumult, turmoil and unquietness. Near antonyms include clamor, din, racket and communication.

How do you use "Stillness" in a sentence?

Examples of "Stillness" in a sentence: "dozing in the warm stillness of a summer afternoon"; "from the couple's tense stillness I sensed that they had been quarreling just before I arrived"; "the only thing that broke the stillness of the garden was the droning of a bee".

Is "Stillness" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Stillness" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Stillness"?

"Stillness" is pronounced /ˈstil/.

What is the origin of the word "Stillness"?

"Stillness" comes from Middle English stille, from Old English; akin to Old High German stilli still and perhaps to Old English steall stall stall. First known use: before 12th century.