different between still vs numb

still

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /st?l/
  • Rhymes: -?l

Etymology 1

From Middle English stille (motionless, stationary), from Old English stille (still, quiet, calm; without motion, at rest, not moving from a place, not disturbed; moving little or gently; silent; not loud; secret; unchanging, undisturbed, stable, fixed; not vehement, gentle), from Proto-West Germanic *still? (quiet, still), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)telH- (to be silent; to be still). Cognate with Scots stil (still), Saterland Frisian stil (motionless, calm, quiet), West Frisian stil (quiet, still), Dutch stil (quiet, silent, still), Low German still (quiet, still), German still (still, quiet, tranquil, silent), Swedish stilla (quiet, silent, peaceful), Icelandic stilltur (set, quiet, calm, still). Related to stall.

(noun: Falkland Islander): Military slang, short for still a Benny, since the military had been instructed not to refer to the islanders by the derogatory term Benny (which see).

Alternative forms

  • stil
  • stille, styll, stylle (obsolete)

Adjective

still (comparative stiller or more still, superlative stillest or most still)

  1. Not moving; calm.
  2. Not effervescing; not sparkling.
  3. Uttering no sound; silent.
    • c. 1711, Joseph Addison, How are thy Servants blest, O Lord!
      The sea that roared at thy command, / At thy command was still.
  4. (not comparable) Having the same stated quality continuously from a past time
  5. Comparatively quiet or silent; soft; gentle; low.
  6. (obsolete) Constant; continual.
Synonyms
  • (not moving): fixed, stationary, unmoving, static, inert, stagnant; see also Thesaurus:stationary or Thesaurus:immobile
  • (not effervescing): flat, uneffervescent; see also Thesaurus:noneffervescent
  • (uttering no sound): noiseless, soundless; see also Thesaurus:silent
  • (having the same stated quality):
  • (comparatively quiet): hushed, tranquil; see also Thesaurus:quiet
  • (constant, continual): incessant, ongoing, unremitting; see also Thesaurus:continuous
Derived terms
  • still life
  • stillness
  • unstill
Related terms
  • be still my heart
  • be still my beating heart
  • still waters run deep
Translations

Adverb

still (not comparable)

  1. Without motion.
  2. (aspect) Up to a time, as in the preceding time.
  3. (degree) To an even greater degree. Used to modify comparative adjectives or adverbs.
    ("still" and "taller" can easily swap places here)
  4. (conjunctive) Nevertheless.
    • 1817, Thomas Moore, Lalla-Rookh
      As sunshine, broken in the rill, / Though turned astray, is sunshine still.
  5. (archaic, poetic) Always; invariably; constantly; continuously.
    • The desire of fame betrays an ambitious man into indecencies that lessen his reputation; he is still afraid lest any of his actions should be thrown away in private.
    • 1661, Robert Boyle, Unsucceeding Experiments
      Chemists would be rich if they could still do in great quantities what they have sometimes done in little.
  6. (extensive) Even, yet.
Synonyms
  • (without motion): akinetically, motionlessly, stock still, stockishly
  • (up to a time): yet
  • (to an even greater degree): yet, even
  • (nevertheless): nonetheless, though, yet; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless
  • (always): consistently, invariably, uniformly; See also Thesaurus:uniformly
  • (even, yet):
Translations

Noun

still (plural stills)

  1. A period of calm or silence.
  2. (photography) A photograph, as opposed to movie footage.
  3. (slang) A resident of the Falkland Islands.
  4. A steep hill or ascent.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of W. Browne to this entry?)
Synonyms
  • (period of calm): lull, rest, respite; quiet, tranquility
  • (resident of the Falkland Islands): Benny, Falklander, Kelper
Translations

Etymology 2

Via Middle English [Term?], ultimately from Latin stilla.

Noun

still (plural stills)

  1. A device for distilling liquids.
  2. (catering) A large water boiler used to make tea and coffee.
  3. (catering) The area in a restaurant used to make tea and coffee, separate from the main kitchen.
  4. A building where liquors are distilled; a distillery.
Translations
See also
  • pot still

Etymology 3

From Old English stillan.

Verb

still (third-person singular simple present stills, present participle stilling, simple past and past participle stilled)

  1. To calm down, to quiet.
Synonyms
  • becalm, lull, quell; see also Thesaurus:pacify
Translations

Etymology 4

Aphetic form of distil, or from Latin stillare.

Verb

still (third-person singular simple present stills, present participle stilling, simple past and past participle stilled)

  1. (obsolete) To trickle, drip.
  2. To cause to fall by drops.
  3. To expel spirit from by heat, or to evaporate and condense in a refrigeratory; to distill.

Translations

Anagrams

  • Tills, lilts, tills

German

Etymology

From Middle High German [Term?], from Old High German stilli.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /?t?l/

Adjective

still (comparative stiller, superlative am stillsten)

  1. quiet, silent

Declension

Adverb

still

  1. quietly, silently

Further reading

  • “still” in Duden online

Hunsrik

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /?til/

Adjective

still

  1. quiet, silent

Further reading

  • Online Hunsrik Dictionary

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /st?l/
  • Rhymes: -?l

Verb

still

  1. imperative of stille

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Verb

still

  1. imperative of stilla

Etymology 2

Adjective

still (masculine and feminine still, neuter stilt, definite singular and plural stille, comparative stillare, indefinite superlative stillast, definite superlative stillaste)

  1. Alternative form of stille

Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /es?til/, [es?t?il]

Noun

still m (plural stills)

  1. (photography) still

still From the web:

  • what still remains
  • what still open near me
  • what still remains during secondary succession
  • what still remains cast
  • what still supports flash
  • what still grows when you die
  • what still remains trailer
  • what still here


numb

English

Etymology

From the past participle of nim (to take). Compare German benommen (dazed, numb). The final ?b? is a later addition to the spelling; it was never pronounced, and did not appear in the original word.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: n?m, IPA(key): /n?m/
  • Rhymes: -?m

Adjective

numb (comparative number, superlative numbest)

  1. Physically unable to feel, not having the power of sensation.
    Synonyms: deadened, insensible
  2. Emotionally unable to feel or respond in a normal way.
    numb with shock; numb with boredom
    • 1915, Nellie McClung, In Times Like These, Toronto: McLeod & Allen, Chapter 2,[1]
      [] when we know that hundreds are rendered homeless every day, and countless thousands are killed and wounded, men and boys mowed down like a field of grain, and with as little compunction, we grow a little bit numb to human misery.
    • 1966, Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, New York: Modern Library, 1992, Part One, p. 77,[2]
      [] seeing the dog—somehow that made me feel again. I’d been too dazed, too numb, to feel the full viciousness of it.
    • 2016, Julian Barnes, The Noise of Time, Random House Canada, Part Three,[3]
      [] he submitted [] as a traitor, his mind numb with vodka, submits to a firing squad.
    Synonym: stunned
  3. (obsolete) Causing numbness.
    • c. 1592, William Shakespeare, Richard III, Act II, Scene 1,[4]
      [] he did lap me
      Even in his own garments, and gave himself,
      All thin and naked to the numb cold night.

Antonyms

  • sensible, sensitive

Derived terms

Related terms

  • numskull

Translations

Verb

numb (third-person singular simple present numbs, present participle numbing, simple past and past participle numbed)

  1. (transitive) To cause to become numb (physically or emotionally).
    Synonym: benumb
  2. (transitive) To cause (a feeling) to be less intense.
    • 1861, Elizabeth Gaskell, “The Grey Woman” in The Grey Woman and Other Tales, London: Smith, Elder & Co.,[5]
      [I was] thankful for the pain, which helped to numb my terror.
    Synonym: dull
  3. (transitive) To cause (the mind, faculties, etc.) to be less acute.
    • 1912, Saki, “The Hounds of Fate” in The Chronicles of Clovis, London: John Lane, p. 219,[6]
      [] hunger, fatigue, and despairing hopelessness had numbed his brain []
    • 1927, Hugh Lofting, Doctor Dolittle’s Garden, Part Four, Chapter 6,[7]
      The noise, the rush of air past our ears, was positively terrific. It actually seemed to numb the senses and make it almost impossible to take in impressions at all.
    • 2004, Cory Doctorow, Eastern Standard Tribe, Chapter 13,[8]
      [The sofa] exhaled a breath of trapped ancient farts, barf-smell, and antiseptic, the parfum de asylum that gradually numbed my nose to all other scents on the ward.
    Synonym: dull
  4. (intransitive) To become numb (especially physically).
    • 1918, Lewis R. Freeman, Many Fronts, London: John Murray, “Wonders of the Teleferica,” p. 270,[9]
      [] after fumbling with numbing fingers for ten or fifteen minutes, he waved his hand with a gesture of despair []
    • 1919, Arthur Murray Chisholm, The Land of Strong Men, New York: H.K. Fly, Chapter 18,[10]
      [] once more his feet began to numb. Again he got down and stamped the circulation going, but as soon as he began to ride again they numbed.

Derived terms

  • mind-numbing

Translations

numb From the web:

  • what number
  • what number is may
  • what number is june
  • what number month is may
  • what number month is april
  • what number month is june
  • what number is iv
  • what number day of the year is it
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