"time stands still" meaning in English

See time stands still in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Phrase

Head templates: {{head|en|phrase|head=time stands still}} time stands still
  1. Used to emphasize a moment in time that is either catastrophic or even enjoyable in which one's sense of time is frozen or suspended.
    Sense id: en-time_stands_still-en-phrase-BRst35vC Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 71 29 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 86 14 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 86 14
  2. Used to state that something, especially a place, has an archaic, anachronistic or historic feeling.
    Sense id: en-time_stands_still-en-phrase-UQI9NRtk
{
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        "head": "time stands still"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "71 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "86 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1735, William Congreve, Plays ... In two volumes, page 39:",
          "text": "Life without love is load; and time stands still; what we refuse to him, to Death we give, And then, then only, when we love, we live.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1741, Mr. Theobald (Lewis), The Happy Captive, An English Opera:",
          "text": "Each long moment seems a day, time stands still, when she's away.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1828, Abner Kneeland (contributor), The Olive Branch and Christian Inquirer:",
          "text": "When one event is continuous, time stands still; for we form no idea of time by the presence or continuance of a single event but we do so by the change of other events at the time.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Phil Condon, Montana Surround: Land, Water, Nature, and Place, Big Earth Publishing, →ISBN, page 52:",
          "text": "In a good wild high-mountain storm, it would be a majestic ride through heaven and hell, a time-stands-still trip in a region of pure awe and undiluted fear.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to emphasize a moment in time that is either catastrophic or even enjoyable in which one's sense of time is frozen or suspended."
      ],
      "id": "en-time_stands_still-en-phrase-BRst35vC"
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1957, The Peabody Reflector:",
          "text": "[…] unconsciously and innocently succumb to the timeless paganism of a country where time stands still and the ancient ways of humanity know nothing about stock markets and finance capitalism.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1972, The New Yorker:",
          "text": "Travel by luxurious jet to a town where time stands still and the houses are festooned with bright streamers for the ancient Summer Star festival. Stay in a 17th-century ryokan (inn) and enjoy ham and eggs for breakfast.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1984, Travel Holiday:",
          "text": "If your visit to the time-stands-still village of Metsovo - high in the snowy mountains a couple of hours' drive due west of Kalambaka - is at Easter, you're in for a succession of special treats[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Clifton W. Potter, Dorothy Bundy Turner Potter, Lynchburg: A City Set on Seven Hills, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN, page 148:",
          "text": "Every year since this bicentennial event, the batteaux have raced from Lynchburg to Richmond, easily slipping from one century back into another for a few glorious days when time stands still.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 July 8, Time Out Guides Ltd, Time Out Barcelona 14th edition, Random House, →ISBN:",
          "text": "Time stands still in this quiet little spot, with its quaint old-fashioned decor, swathes of lace and brown table linen.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016, Richard Panchyk, Hidden History of Long Island, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN, page 30:",
          "text": "Inside the smallest and plainest of the trio, a time-stands-still kind of sight awaits—different-sized gaskets hang from hooks on the wall, waiting patiently for more than half a century to be placed on machinery long gone.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2024 March 5, Angela Correll, Restored in Tuscany: A True Story of Facing Loss, Finding Beauty, and Living Forward in Hope, Harvest House Publishers, →ISBN, page 16:",
          "text": "I need a small Tuscan village where time stands still, where creativity can unfurl and my own soul can breathe.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to state that something, especially a place, has an archaic, anachronistic or historic feeling."
      ],
      "id": "en-time_stands_still-en-phrase-UQI9NRtk",
      "links": [
        [
          "archaic",
          "archaic#English"
        ],
        [
          "anachronistic",
          "anachronistic#English"
        ],
        [
          "historic",
          "historic#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "time stands still"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrases",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "head_templates": [
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1735, William Congreve, Plays ... In two volumes, page 39:",
          "text": "Life without love is load; and time stands still; what we refuse to him, to Death we give, And then, then only, when we love, we live.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1741, Mr. Theobald (Lewis), The Happy Captive, An English Opera:",
          "text": "Each long moment seems a day, time stands still, when she's away.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1828, Abner Kneeland (contributor), The Olive Branch and Christian Inquirer:",
          "text": "When one event is continuous, time stands still; for we form no idea of time by the presence or continuance of a single event but we do so by the change of other events at the time.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Phil Condon, Montana Surround: Land, Water, Nature, and Place, Big Earth Publishing, →ISBN, page 52:",
          "text": "In a good wild high-mountain storm, it would be a majestic ride through heaven and hell, a time-stands-still trip in a region of pure awe and undiluted fear.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to emphasize a moment in time that is either catastrophic or even enjoyable in which one's sense of time is frozen or suspended."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1957, The Peabody Reflector:",
          "text": "[…] unconsciously and innocently succumb to the timeless paganism of a country where time stands still and the ancient ways of humanity know nothing about stock markets and finance capitalism.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1972, The New Yorker:",
          "text": "Travel by luxurious jet to a town where time stands still and the houses are festooned with bright streamers for the ancient Summer Star festival. Stay in a 17th-century ryokan (inn) and enjoy ham and eggs for breakfast.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1984, Travel Holiday:",
          "text": "If your visit to the time-stands-still village of Metsovo - high in the snowy mountains a couple of hours' drive due west of Kalambaka - is at Easter, you're in for a succession of special treats[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Clifton W. Potter, Dorothy Bundy Turner Potter, Lynchburg: A City Set on Seven Hills, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN, page 148:",
          "text": "Every year since this bicentennial event, the batteaux have raced from Lynchburg to Richmond, easily slipping from one century back into another for a few glorious days when time stands still.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 July 8, Time Out Guides Ltd, Time Out Barcelona 14th edition, Random House, →ISBN:",
          "text": "Time stands still in this quiet little spot, with its quaint old-fashioned decor, swathes of lace and brown table linen.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016, Richard Panchyk, Hidden History of Long Island, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN, page 30:",
          "text": "Inside the smallest and plainest of the trio, a time-stands-still kind of sight awaits—different-sized gaskets hang from hooks on the wall, waiting patiently for more than half a century to be placed on machinery long gone.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2024 March 5, Angela Correll, Restored in Tuscany: A True Story of Facing Loss, Finding Beauty, and Living Forward in Hope, Harvest House Publishers, →ISBN, page 16:",
          "text": "I need a small Tuscan village where time stands still, where creativity can unfurl and my own soul can breathe.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to state that something, especially a place, has an archaic, anachronistic or historic feeling."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "archaic",
          "archaic#English"
        ],
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          "anachronistic",
          "anachronistic#English"
        ],
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          "historic#English"
        ]
      ]
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  "word": "time stands still"
}

Download raw JSONL data for time stands still meaning in English (3.9kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (eaedd02 and 8fbd9e8). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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