Stillness
What it means
A quiet absence of movement or disturbance.
Reach for it when naming calm physical or mental quiet without assuming that silence is always safe
At dawn, stillness returned to the lake after the night wind.
Words to choose between 6
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm |
|
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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everyday
Fits when low sound is the main quality
Careful Quiet can include movement and activity that stillness excludes.
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warm
Fits when freedom from agitation matters more than motion
Careful Calm seas and people can continue moving.
-
professional
immobility
Fits when inability or absence of movement is the neutral fact
Careful Immobility can be forced or harmful and carries no calm.
-
formal
silence
Fits when absence of sound is exact
Careful Silence says nothing about physical movement or inward peace.
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literary
Fits when restful inactivity has graceful or artistic character
Careful Repose suggests rest, so some motionless scenes fall outside it.
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literary
Fits when peaceful freedom from disturbance deserves emphasis
Careful Tranquility is positively felt, while stillness can be tense.
Opposites 3
- motion
- agitation
- commotion
Common phrases 3
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complete stillness
Complete stillness settled over the hall before the first note.
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moment of stillness
A moment of stillness helped each speaker gather their thoughts.
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stillness of dawn
The stillness of dawn made distant footsteps easy to hear.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Stillness can be peaceful, fearful, imposed, or medically concerning. The positive reading depends on context.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: AnotherFriendlyHuman, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated