unmoving

unmoving — adjective

1. not changing position at all; completely still — for example, a person standing

1.形容詞B1
釋義

not changing position at all; completely still — for example, a person standing frozen in place, an animal lying without stirring, or an object that has not been disturbed for a long time.

例句

An unmoving dog lay on the kitchen floor, barely breathing.

attributive: unmoving + noun

Nikos stood unmoving at the back of the crowded market.

predicative: stand/remain unmoving

同義詞
  • still

    most common and neutral; used in everyday speech

  • motionless

    similar register to unmoving but slightly more common in writing

  • stationary

    emphasises a fixed position rather than absence of all movement

  • immobile

    can suggest inability to move, not just a temporary state

反義詞

文法句型

be/lie/stand/remain + unmoving

unmoving + noun

用法筆記

More literary and emphatic than still or motionless. In everyday speech, phrases like 'not moving' or 'staying still' are far more common. Frequently used with verbs of posture: lie, stand, sit, remain, stay.

常見錯誤

❌The cat unmoving on the sofa.
✅The cat lay unmoving on the sofa.
💡unmoving is an adjective, not a verb; it needs a linking verb such as be, lie, stand, or remain.
❌He unmoving waited for the bus.
✅He waited for the bus without moving.
💡unmoving cannot modify a verb as an adverb.

2. not producing any emotional response; failing to stir feelings of sadness, sympa

2.形容詞B2
釋義

not producing any emotional response; failing to stir feelings of sadness, sympathy, or joy — for example, a film that leaves viewers cold, a speech that feels hollow, or an apology that sounds rehearsed.

例句

The film was technically well made but strangely unmoving.

be + unmoving for emotional flatness

Christopher found the graduation speech unmoving and full of clichés.

find + object + unmoving (object complement)

同義詞
  • unaffecting

    more formal and less common; same meaning

  • flat

    informal; suggests lack of energy or variation, not just emotion

  • soulless

    stronger negative connotation; implies emptiness or lack of humanity

  • cold

    common; can describe either the work or the person experiencing it

反義詞
  • moving

    direct opposite; emotionally stirring

  • touching

    gently emotional; warmer than moving

  • stirring

    strongly emotional; suggests inspiration or excitement

文法句型

be + unmoving

find/consider + object + unmoving

seem + unmoving

用法筆記

Almost always used in predicative position (the speech was unmoving), not attributively before a noun. The subject is typically a creative work, gesture, or communication: film, novel, speech, apology, performance. Do not confuse with unmoved, which describes a person's lack of emotional reaction (I was unmoved by the speech, NOT I was unmoving by the speech).

常見錯誤

❌I felt unmoving after watching the documentary.
✅I found the documentary unmoving.
💡unmoving describes the thing that fails to stir emotion, not the person. Use unmoved for the person's state.
❌He gave an unmoving gaze.
✅He gave an unmoved gaze.
💡unmoving can mean 'physically still' in attributive position, which causes ambiguity. Use unmoved to describe a person's expression that shows no emotion.