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Glite Dictionary
to stand still

to stand still

75 1.0
Stay upright in one place without moving
  • phrasal verb
  • /stænd stɪl/
translation icon : quedarse quieto
  • We saw one Anhinga by a bridge standing still on the same rock every time we passed by.
  • never stand still
  • stand still for too long
  • no longer stand still

He imagined the men standing still and the cars coming to them.

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Examples

  • If you stand still long enough, the butterflies will eventually come close to you.

  • We can stand still in space, but we cannot stand still in time.

  • Do you think you could stand still for this one?

    Payday (1973)

  • I got off the bike, stood still for a moment, then took a few steps toward it.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • For long moments, nothing happened, but the crowd on the dock stood still, murmuring quietly.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • During the performance, all the dancers had to stand still for a few seconds to create a dramatic effect.

  • The teacher asked the students to stand still while she took their class photo.

Synonyms

to stay put
vsto stand still
  • Informal
133 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

focuses on being upright and motionless rather than only remaining where one is
to hold steady
vsto stand still
17 2.9

Keep something or someone in place and still

is being upright and unmoving itself rather than something kept stable
to stay in place
vsto stand still
10 1.5

Not move from a place

is upright without moving rather than only remaining stationary

Antonyms

to move
∞ 1.0

Change position or place

to fidget
26 3.4

To make small nervous movements, often with hands or feet

How Still

to freeze
244 1.6
to stand still
75 1.0
to stand
∞ 1.0
to fidget
26 3.4

Surface Forms

stand still infinitive
stood still past
stood still past participle
standing still present participle
stands still third person singular

Morphology

stand + still

The meaning 'to stand in one place without moving' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'stand' (to remain upright) with 'still' (not moving). This is a straightforward compositional phrase following common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Stand still gives a simple picture: someone who stands and does not move, like a statue or when a photographer says 'Please stay very still'. So, it means 'to stay in one place without moving'.