stand still

present singular third person stands still · participle present standing still · participle past stood still · past stood still

1. figurativelysometimesTo stop moving, to remain motionless.

   My legs were stiff because I'd been standing still for a long time.

   2 more examples

   12 ¶ Then spake Ioshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord deliuered vp the Amorites before the children of Israel, and hee said in the sight of Israel, Sunne, stand thou still vpon Gibeon, and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon. 13 And the Sunne stood still, and the Moone stayed, vntill the people had auenged themselues vpō their enemies. Is not this written in the booke of Iasher? So the Sunne stood still in the midst of heauen, and hasted not to goe downe, about a whole day.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Joshua 10:12–13

   Time seemed to stand still as an idea came to him. He could not outrun the car behind him, but he could outdrive his opponent. And the Fiat was more nimble.

   2002, Robert Jonathan Tristani, A Virtual Kill, page 303

2. to tolerate

   Will you accept your second class status A nation of waitresses and waiters Will you mix their martinis Will you stand still for it Or will you take to the hills

   1987, Roger Waters, “Home”, in Radio K.A.O.S.

plural stand stills

1. obsoleteObsolete spelling of standstill.