YourDictionary

Dictionary Home » Phrase Meanings » still waters run deep

What does "still waters run deep" mean?

A quiet person may be very profound, as in Susie rarely says much, but still waters run deep. The physical observation in this term dates from ancient times, but it has been used figuratively since about 1400. Anthony Trollope amplified it in He Knew He Was Right (1869): “That's what I call still water. She runs deep enough. . . . So quiet, but so—clever.”

Learn more about still waters run deep

link/cite print suggestion box