stillness means the quality or state of being still. It carries an Arena rating of 1820, earned across 21 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, stillness ranks #108 of 42,747 for Qualifying, #193 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #244 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #1,423 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
stillness is pronounced /ˈstɪlnəs/.
Why “stillness” is a great word
The absence of motion or sound. From Middle English stilnesse, from Old English stilnes ("stillness, quiet, silence, peace"), equivalent to still + -ness. Unlike "silence," which denotes only a lack of noise, or "calm," which suggests a lack of agitation, stillness is the total arrest of both the visible and the audible. It is the held breath of a heron motionless at the water's edge, the perfect suspension of dust motes in a shaft of light, and the vast, humming quiet of a deep winter night—a palpable presence composed entirely of what is not happening, a gathering of potential before the inevitable return to disturbance.
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.
noun
- The quality or state of being still.e.g.“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:
- Habitual silence or quiet; taciturnity.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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