Till vs. Still: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on October 7, 2023
Till refers to a point in time up to which something happens; Still indicates that a particular action or state continues to the present.
Key Differences
Till" and "Still" are both adverbs, but they serve different purposes in sentences. While "Till" is often associated with time, denoting up to a certain moment, "Still" emphasizes the continuation of an action or state.
In daily communication, "Till" might be used to refer to the period leading up to a particular time. For example, "I'll wait till 5 pm." On the other hand, "Still" can imply an unexpected continuation, such as "I still haven't received the package."
Some people might be familiar with the phrase "till now," which suggests from an unspecified time in the past up to the present. In contrast, "Still" can be placed in similar contexts, like "I still haven't seen that movie," indicating an action or state that one might expect to have changed but hasn't.
Interestingly, "Till" has been in the English language longer than its often-thought original form "Until." In contrast, "Still" has Germanic roots and has been used in its current sense of "up to this time" since the 1300s.
Comparison Chart
Primary Meaning
Up to a specific time
Continuation of a state or action
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Example Sentence
I'll be here till 7 pm.
I still love watching cartoons.
Position in Sentence
Often used mid-sentence or at the end
Can be used at the beginning, middle, or end
Synonyms
Until
Yet
Origin
Old English
Middle English from Old English
Till and Still Definitions
Till
As a conjunction indicating when or the time when
Stay here till I return.
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Still
Without movement or sound
The room was perfectly still.
Till
As a noun meaning money taken in a business
The day's till was substantial.
Still
Up to and including the present
I still haven’t finished the book.
Till
To prepare (land) for the raising of crops, as by plowing and harrowing; cultivate.
Still
Used to emphasize a continuing state
Are you still working on that project?
Till
Until.
Still
Not moving or in motion
The patient must be still for the doctor to work.
Till
Until.
Still
Free from disturbance, agitation, or commotion
The still waters of the lake.
Till
A drawer, small chest, or compartment for money, as in a store.
Still
Of or relating to a single or static photograph as opposed to a movie.
Till
A supply of money; a purse.
Still
Making or characterized by no sound or faint sound
The crowd cheered and then grew still.
Till
Glacial drift composed of an unconsolidated, heterogeneous mixture of clay, sand, pebbles, cobbles, and boulders.
Still
Not carbonated; lacking effervescence
A still wine.
Till
Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
She stayed till the very end.
It's twenty till two. (1:40)
I have to work till eight o'clock tonight.
Still
Silence; quiet
The still of the night.
Till
To, up to (physically).
They led him till his tent
Still
A still photograph, especially one taken from a scene of a movie and used for promotional purposes.
Till
To, toward (in attitude).
Still
A still-life picture.
Till
(dialectal) To make it possible that.
Still
An apparatus for distilling liquids, such as alcohols, consisting of a vessel in which the substance is vaporized by heat and a cooling device in which the vapor is condensed.
Till
Until, until the time that.
Maybe you can, maybe you can't: you won't know till you try.
Still
A distillery.
Till
A cash register.
Still
Without movement; motionlessly
Stand still.
Till
A removable box within a cash register containing the money.
Pull all the tills and lock them in the safe.
Still
At the present time; for the present
We are still waiting.
Till
The contents of a cash register, for example at the beginning or end of the day or of a cashier's shift.
My count of my till was 30 dollars short.
Still
Up to or at a specified time; yet
Still had not made up her mind.
Till
(obsolete) A tray or drawer in a chest.
Still
At a future time; eventually
May still see the error of his ways.
Till
Glacial drift consisting of a mixture of clay, sand, pebbles and boulders
Still
In increasing amount or degree; even
And still further complaints.
Till
(dialect) manure or other material used to fertilize land
Still
In addition; besides
Had still another helping.
Till
A vetch; a tare.
Still
All the same; nevertheless.
Till
(transitive) To develop so as to improve or prepare for usage; to cultivate (said of knowledge, virtue, mind etc.).
Still
To make motionless or unagitated
The afternoon heat stilled the breeze.
Till
(transitive) To work or cultivate or plough (soil); to prepare for growing vegetation and crops.
Still
To make quiet; silence
"a ... cold wind that stilled even the chorus of insects" (David Campbell).
Till
(intransitive) To cultivate soil.
Still
To allay or calm
The parents stilled their child's fears of the dark.
Till
(obsolete) To prepare; to get.
Still
To become still.
Till
A vetch; a tare.
Still
Not moving; calm.
Sit there and stay still!
Still waters run deep.
Till
A drawer.
Still
Not effervescing; not sparkling.
Still water; still wines
Till
A deposit of clay, sand, and gravel, without lamination, formed in a glacier valley by means of the waters derived from the melting glaciers; - sometimes applied to alluvium of an upper river terrace, when not laminated, and appearing as if formed in the same manner.
Still
Uttering no sound; silent.
Till
A kind of coarse, obdurate land.
Still
(not comparable) Having the same stated quality continuously from a past time
Till
To; unto; up to; as far as; until; - now used only in respect to time, but formerly, also, of place, degree, etc., and still so used in Scotland and in parts of England and Ireland; as, I worked till four o'clock; I will wait till next week.
He . . . came till an house.
Women, up till thisCramped under worse than South-sea-isle taboo.
Similar sentiments will recur to every one familiar with his writings - all through them till the very end.
Still
Comparatively quiet or silent; soft; gentle; low.
Till
As far as; up to the place or degree that; especially, up to the time that; that is, to the time specified in the sentence or clause following; until.
And said unto them, Occupy till I come.
Mediate so long till you make some act of prayer to God.
There was no outbreak till the regiment arrived.
Still
(obsolete) Constant; continual.
Till
To plow and prepare for seed, and to sow, dress, raise crops from, etc., to cultivate; as, to till the earth, a field, a farm.
No field nolde [would not] tilye.
The Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
Still
Without motion.
They stood still until the guard was out of sight.
Till
To prepare; to get.
Still
(aspect) Up to a time, as in the preceding time.
Is it still raining?
It was still raining five minutes ago.
We've seen most of the sights, but we are still visiting the museum.
I’m still not wise enough to answer that.
Till
To cultivate land.
Still
(degree) To an even greater degree. Used to modify comparative adjectives or adverbs.
Tom is tall; Dick is taller; Harry is still taller / Harry is taller still.
Till
Unstratified soil deposited by a glacier; consists of sand and clay and gravel and boulders mixed together
Still
(conjunctive) Nevertheless.
I’m not hungry, but I’ll still manage to find room for dessert.
Yeah, but still...
Till
A treasury for government funds
Still
Always; invariably; constantly; continuously.
Till
A strongbox for holding cash
Still
(extensive) Even, yet.
Some dogs howl, more yelp, still more bark.
Till
Work land as by ploughing, harrowing, and manuring, in order to make it ready for cultivation;
Till the soil
Still
A period of calm or silence.
The still of the night
Till
As a preposition meaning up to the time of
We waited till morning.
Still
(photography) A photograph, as opposed to movie footage.
Till
Referring to ground preparation and cultivation
Farmers till the soil for planting.
Still
(slang) A resident of the Falkland Islands.
Till
A cash drawer or register
The cashier put money in the till.
Still
A device for distilling liquids.
Still
(catering) A large water boiler used to make tea and coffee.
Still
(catering) The area in a restaurant used to make tea and coffee, separate from the main kitchen.
Still
A building where liquors are distilled; a distillery.
Still
To calm down, to quiet.
To still the raging sea
Still
(obsolete) To trickle, drip.
Still
To cause to fall by drops.
Still
To expel spirit from by heat, or to evaporate and condense in a refrigeratory; to distill.
Still
Motionless; at rest; quiet; as, to stand still; to lie or sit still.
Still
Uttering no sound; silent; as, the audience is still; the animals are still.
The sea that roared at thy command,At thy command was still.
Still
Not disturbed by noise or agitation; quiet; calm; as, a still evening; a still atmosphere.
Still
Comparatively quiet or silent; soft; gentle; low.
Still
Constant; continual.
By still practice learn to know thy meaning.
Still
Not effervescing; not sparkling; as, still wines.
Still
Freedom from noise; calm; silence; as, the still of midnight.
Still
A steep hill or ascent.
Still
A vessel, boiler, or copper used in the distillation of liquids; specifically, one used for the distillation of alcoholic liquors; a retort. The name is sometimes applied to the whole apparatus used in in vaporization and condensation.
Still
A house where liquors are distilled; a distillery.
Still
To this time; until and during the time now present; now no less than before; yet.
It hath been anciently reported, and is still received.
Still
In the future as now and before.
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Still
In continuation by successive or repeated acts; always; ever; constantly; uniformly.
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.
Chemists would be rich if they could still do in great quantities what they have sometimes done in little.
Still
In an increasing or additional degree; even more; - much used with comparatives.
The guilt being great, the fear doth still exceed.
Still
Notwithstanding what has been said or done; in spite of what has occured; nevertheless; - sometimes used as a conjunction. See Synonym of But.
As sunshine, broken in the rill,Though turned astray, is sunshine still.
Still
After that; after what is stated.
In the primitive church, such as by fear being compelled to sacrifice to strange gods, after repented, and kept still the office of preaching the gospel.
And like the watchful minutes to the hour,Still and anon cheered up the heavy time.
Still
To stop, as motion or agitation; to cause to become quiet, or comparatively quiet; to check the agitation of; as, to still the raging sea.
He having a full sway over the water, had power to still and compose it, as well as to move and disturb it.
Still
To stop, as noise; to silence.
With his name the mothers still their babies.
Still
To appease; to calm; to quiet, as tumult, agitation, or excitement; as, to still the passions.
Toil that would, at least, have stilled an unquiet impulse in me.
Still
To cause to fall by drops.
Still
To expel spirit from by heat, or to evaporate and condense in a refrigeratory; to distill.
Still
To drop, or flow in drops; to distill.
Still
A static photograph (especially one taken from a movie and used for advertising purposes);
He wanted some stills for a magazine ad
Still
(poetic) tranquil silence;
The still of the night
Still
An apparatus used for the distillation of liquids; consists of a vessel in which a substance is vaporized by heat and a condenser where the vapor is condensed
Still
A plant and works where alcoholic drinks are made by distillation
Still
Make calm or still;
Quiet the dragons of worry and fear
Still
Cause to be quiet or not talk;
Please silence the children in the church!
Still
Lessen the intensity of or calm;
The news eased my conscience
Still the fears
Still
Make motionless
Still
Not in physical motion;
The inertia of an object at rest
Still
Marked by absence of sound;
A silent house
Soundless footsteps on the grass
The night was still
Still
Free from disturbance;
A ribbon of sand between the angry sea and the placid bay
The quiet waters of a lagoon
A lake of tranquil blue water reflecting a tranquil blue sky
A smooth channel crossing
Scarcely a ripple on the still water
Unruffled water
Still
Used of pictures; of a single or static photograph not presented so as to create the illusion of motion; or representing objects not capable of motion;
A still photograph
Cezanne's still life of apples
Still
Not sparkling;
A still wine
Still mineral water
Still
Free from noticeable current;
A still pond
Still waters run deep
Still
With reference to action or condition; without change, interruption, or cessation;
It's still warm outside
Will you still love me when we're old and grey?
Still
Despite anything to the contrary (usually following a concession);
Although I'm a little afraid, however I'd like to try it
While we disliked each other, nevertheless we agreed
He was a stern yet fair master
Granted that it is dangerous, all the same I still want to go
Still
To a greater degree or extent; used with comparisons;
Looked sick and felt even worse
An even (or still) more interesting problem
Still another problem must be solved
A yet sadder tale
Still
Without moving or making a sound;
He sat still as a statue
Time stood still
They waited stock-still outside the door
He couldn't hold still any longer
Still
Despite that; nevertheless
It’s expensive, but I still want to go.
Still
Always; continuously
She was still the champion.
FAQs
Can "still" be used as an adjective?
Yes, as in "still waters."
Are there any idioms with "till"?
Yes, like "till the cows come home."
Can "still" indicate surprise?
Yes, "still" can express an unexpected continuation, e.g., "Is he still here?"
Does "till" mean the same as "until"?
Yes, "till" and "until" can be used interchangeably in most contexts.
Is "till now" the same as "until now"?
Yes, they both refer to the present moment from a past starting point.
Is "til" an acceptable spelling for "till"?
"Til" is less standard than "till" but is sometimes used.
Is "till" always about time?
Mostly, but it can also refer to cultivating soil or a cash drawer.
Can "still" refer to silence?
Yes, e.g., "All was still in the house."
Is "till" informal?
It's standard in speech and writing but might be less formal than "until" in some contexts.
Does "till" always need a specific time after it?
Often, but not always. It can be followed by a clause or event, like "till you return."
How is "still" used in a comparative sense?
As in "It's still more expensive than the other option."
Does "still" always indicate continuation?
Primarily, but it can also mean "calm" or "not moving."
Can "still" indicate a higher degree?
Yes, e.g., "It's still hotter today."
Is "till" derived from "until"?
No, "till" actually predates "until" in the English language.
What part of speech is "till"?
It can be a preposition, conjunction, or noun.
In what situations is "still" commonly used?
It's often used to discuss actions or states continuing beyond an expected point.
Can "till" be a noun?
Yes, referring to a cash drawer or soil cultivation.
What’s a synonym for "still" in the context of quietness?
"Silent."
What’s the opposite of "still" in the context of movement?
"Moving" or "in motion."
Can "still" be used with past tense?
Yes, e.g., "I still didn't understand."
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
