calm
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- cool, collected, composed, dispassionate, relaxed, sedate, self-possessed, unemotional
- still, balmy, mild, quiet, serene, smooth, tranquil, windless
[noun]
Synonyms:
- peacefulness, hush, peace, quiet, repose, serenity, stillness
[verb]
Synonyms:
- quieten, hush, mollify, placate, relax, soothe

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Antonyms: stormy, agitated, agitate, arouse
Contrasted words: agitated, disturbed, perturbed, restless, turbulent, uneasy, discomposed, upset, anxious, bothered, confused, nervous, fidgety, jittery, jumpy, shaky, tense, bother, discompose, disquiet, disturb, flurry, perturb, stir up
Related Idioms: calm as a millpond, still as death
Related Words: inactive, quiescent, reposing, resting, pacific, smooth, tranquil, unruffled, cool, imperturbable, laid-back, nonchalant, unflappable, even-tempered, impassive, phlegmatic, steady, firm, stable, staunch, alleviate, assuage, mitigate, relieve, appease, mollify, pacify, placate, relax

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English Thesaurus: calm, relaxed, chilled-out, laid-back, mellow, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. calm¹ S3 W3 /kɑːm $ kɑːm, kɑːlm/ adjective (comparative calmer, superlative calmest)
[Word Family: noun: calm, calmness; verb: calm; adverb: calmly; adjective: calm]

1. relaxed and quiet, not angry, nervous, or upset:
Glen was calm and composed at the funeral.
remain/stay/keep calm
I tried to stay calm and just ignore him.

2. if a place, period of time, or situation is calm, there is less activity, trouble etc than there sometimes is, or than there has been recently:
The financial markets are calm at the moment.
The streets are calm again after last night’s disturbances.

3. a sea, lake etc that is calm is smooth or has only gentle waves:
The seas were dead calm.
—calmly adverb
—calmness noun [uncountable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. calm² noun [singular, uncountable]
[Word Family: noun: calm, calmness; verb: calm; adverb: calmly; adjective: calm]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: calme, from Late Latin cauma 'heat'; because everything is quiet and still in the heat of the middle part of the day]

1. a situation or time that is quiet and peaceful
calm of
They remained on the terrace after dinner, enjoying the calm of the evening.
morning/afternoon/evening calm
A scream shattered the late afternoon calm.
Hindu leaders appealed for calm (=asked that the public stay calm) after a temple was burnt to the ground.
The presence of soldiers helped restore calm.
The last five years have seen a period of relative calm.

2. the calm before the storm a calm peaceful situation that will not continue because a big argument, problem etc is coming

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. calm³ (also calm down) verb [intransitive and transitive]
[Word Family: noun: calm, calmness; verb: calm; adverb: calmly; adjective: calm]

1. to become quiet and relaxed after you have been angry, excited, nervous, or upset, or to make someone become quiet and relaxed:
He tried to calm the frightened children.
Calm down and tell me what happened.
We tried to calm people’s fears.
calm yourself (down)
She lit a cigarette to calm herself down.

2. if a situation calms down, it becomes easier to deal with because there are fewer problems and it is not as busy as it was before:
It took months for things to calm down after we had the baby.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

calm
adj.
I. not worried or angry
VERBS appear, be, feel, look, seem, sound I may have appeared calm but I certainly didn't feel it.
become | keep, remain, stay Sit down and keep calm! The pilot urged the passengers to remain calm.
keep sb Keep the patient calm.
ADV. extremely, remarkably, very You seem remarkably calm.
completely, perfectly, utterly Her voice was firm and perfectly calm.
fairly, pretty, quite | apparently, outwardly | curiously, strangely The pain had receded and he felt curiously calm.
reassuringly The voice sounded reassuringly calm.
PREP. about She seemed pretty calm about it.
PHRASES cool, calm and collected He remained at all times cool, calm and collected.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

calm
II. not rough or stormy
VERBS be, look | become
ADV. absolutely, dead, flat, perfectly The sea was dead calm. flat calm conditions
fairly, quite, relatively

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

calm
noun
I. peaceful situation/manner/feeling
ADJ. apparent Under his apparent calm lay real anxiety.
inner the pursuit of inner calm
uneasy | forced, studied With a forced calm she said, ‘How do you know?’
dead She felt not fear, but a kind of dead calm.
deadly, icy ‘I'm calling the police, ’ he stated with deadly calm.
VERB + CALM appeal for, call for The government appealed for calm after the riots broke out.
CALM + VERB descend, settle After the bomb, an uneasy calm settled on the city.
PHRASES a period of calm

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

calm
II. at sea
ADJ. dead, flat Seals basked on boulders in a flat calm.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

calm
I.
noun
BAD: You need calm and quiet to digest your lunch properly.
GOOD: You need peace and quiet to digest your lunch properly.

Usage Note:
Peace and quiet is a fixed phrase: 'It's impossible to find peace and quiet in a house full of children.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

calm
II.
adjective
1.
BAD: If you prefer a calm environment, try the countryside.
GOOD: If you prefer a peaceful environment, try the countryside.
BAD: Go and find somewhere calm and get some rest.
GOOD: Go and find somewhere quiet and get some rest.
BAD: What you need is a calm holiday somewhere.
GOOD: What you need is a quiet and relaxing holiday somewhere.

Usage Note:
Calm is usually used to describe situations where there has recently been violence or noisy activity: 'After yesterday's fighting, the streets of Jerusalem are reported to be calm again this morning.'

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2.
DUBIOUS: My best friend Nick is very calm and never gets upset.
GOOD: My best friend Nick is very easygoing and never gets upset.

Usage Note:
Calm is usually used to describe how someone behaves in a difficult situation: 'The boat was being tossed by the waves but we managed to stay calm.'
To describe someone who has a relaxed attitude to life, use words such as easygoing, placid, laid-back (informal), patient, tolerant.

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3.
DUBIOUS: I fastened my seat belt and tried to be calm.
GOOD: I fastened my seat belt and tried to stay calm.

Usage Note:
When you are talking about someone's behaviour in an emergency or unpleasant situation, use keep/stay/remain calm : 'In the event of fire, leave the building by the nearest exit and remain calm.'
Compare: 'For the first two days the sea was perfectly calm.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

calm not getting angry, nervous, or upset, even in a difficult situation:
We’ll talk about this later when you’re feeling calmer.
Everyone praised Douglas for the calm way in which he handled the situation.
relaxed not worried about anything, especially so that people feel comfortable:
Looking relaxed and confident, the president answered questions from the press.
There was a relaxed atmosphere.
chilled-out (also chilled) informal very relaxed and not worried – used especially by young people:
I’m much more chilled-out about the whole thing this year.
laid-back informal someone who is laid-back is always relaxed and never seems to get worried or annoyed about anything:
I like his laid-back attitude to life.
My parents are pretty laid-back and don’t mind me staying out late.
mellow informal relaxed, friendly, and happy, especially after drinking alcohol:
After a few drinks, everyone was pretty mellow.
cool informal staying calm and not showing your emotions, especially when other people are getting excited or angry:
He is the kind of player who always manages to stay cool, even under pressure.
She was as cool as a cucumber (=very cool).
keep your head to manage to stay calm and behave in a sensible way in a difficult or frightening situation:
In this job you need to be good at keeping your head in a crisis.
peace a situation in which there is no war or fighting:
There has been peace in the region for six years now.
truce an agreement to stop fighting or arguing with each other for a limited period of time:
The rebels have ended a 17-month-old truce.
He called for a truce between Israeli and Palestinian forces.
There was an uneasy truce between Lily and Stephen at dinner.
ceasefire an agreement to stop fighting for a limited period of time, especially in order to discuss making peace:
The two sides agreed to a ceasefire which would come into force immediately.
armistice a formal agreement to stop fighting a war and to discuss making peace:
The Korean armistice was signed in July 1953.
still not moving – use this especially about people who are not moving, or about places where there is no wind:
There was no wind and the trees were completely still.
Keep still while I tie your shoes.
stationary not moving – use this about cars, trains, or objects:
The truck swerved and hit a stationary vehicle.
immobile not moving or not able to move, especially because of fear or tiredness:
As the disease progressed, she became increasingly immobile.
motionless completely still – used especially in literature:
Kemp sat motionless as the verdict was read.
be at a standstill if traffic is at a standstill it is not moving:
Traffic was at a standstill on the motorway.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

move to go to a different place, or change the position of your body:
Sarah moved away from the window.
Every time I move I get a pain in my left shoulder.
sway to move slowly from one side to the other:
The branches swayed in the wind.
Donny swayed drunkenly as he walked back to his car.
rock to move repeatedly from one side to another, with small gentle movements:
He rocked backward and forward in his chair.
The boat rocked from side to side with the waves.
wobble to move unsteadily from side to side:
The bike wobbled a bit, but she soon got it under control.
fidget to keep moving or playing with your fingers, hands, feet etc, because you are bored or nervous:
Diana fidgeted nervously with her pencil.
squirm to make very small movements from side to side with your body, especially because you feel uncomfortable:
By the end of the hour, most of the children were squirming in their seats.
wriggle to make small movements from side to side, especially in order to get into or out of something:
The dog wriggled under the fence and escaped into the street.
She managed to wriggle into the dress, but it was much too tight.
twitch if part of your body twitches, it makes small movements that you cannot control:
A muscle on Yang’s face twitched.
stir written to make a movement – used especially when describing a situation in which no one moves, or someone wakes up:
In the village a dog barked but no one stirred
The sleeping child stirred and opened her eyes.
budge to move – used when you are trying hard to make something move, often without success:
The piano wouldn’t budge.
relocate to move to a different place – used about companies, organizations, and people who work for them:
NATO’s main headquarters relocated to Brussels.
Klein is relocating to London to head up the investment banking team.
still not moving – use this especially about people who are not moving, or about places where there is no wind:
There was no wind and the trees were completely still.
Keep still while I tie your shoes.
stationary not moving – use this about cars, trains, or objects:
The truck swerved and hit a stationary vehicle.
immobile not moving or not able to move, especially because of fear or tiredness:
As the disease progressed, she became increasingly immobile.
motionless completely still – used especially in literature:
Kemp sat motionless as the verdict was read.
calm not moving because there is no wind – use this about air and water:
The lake was calm.
be at a standstill if traffic is at a standstill it is not moving:
Traffic was at a standstill on the motorway.
make a move
We made the move mainly for financial reasons.
make no move
The government made no move to hold the promised elections.
welcome the move
Environmentalists welcomed the move to limit the length of fishing nets.
oppose a move
Union members have opposed the move.
support a move
The move was supported by the government.
a move is aimed at doing something/is designed to do something
The move is aimed at strengthening its business in the region.
an important move
I cannot decide on such an important move on my own.
a bold/daring move (=taking a lot of courage)
The writers made a bold move by kiling off the main character.
a good/smart/wise move (=sensible)
I’m not sure it was a good move giving him the job.
the right move
He hoped he had made the right move in telling his father.
an unprecedented move (=never having happened before)
Barcelona began the unprecedented move of shipping in drinking water.
sb’s next move (=the next thing someone does)
What should happen next? What’s our next move?
a bad move
It was a bad move letting him come here in the first place.
a false/wrong move (=made by mistake)
One wrong move and the business might never recover.
the first move
She waited for Michael to make the first move.
a career move (=a decision that will improve the type of job you can do)
It looked like a good career move, with the possibility of promotion later.
there are moves afoot to do something British English (=there are plans, especially secret ones, to do something)
There are moves afoot to change things.
a move in the right direction
The decision seemed to be a move in the right direction.
watch/follow sb’s every move
His eyes followed Cissy’s every move.
a sudden move
She made a sudden move towards me from the doorway.
action noun [countable] something that someone does:
He is responsible for his own actions.
They refused to give a reason for their actions.
act noun [countable] a particular type of action:
violent acts
⇒ act of violence/kindness/defiance etc:
I believe the killing was an act of desperation.
activities noun [plural] things that people do, especially for enjoyment or to achieve an aim:
leisure activities
political activities
Surveys may not give a true picture of people’s activities.
behaviour British English, behavior American English noun [uncountable] the things that someone does and the way they behave:
Do you think that advertisements really influence people’s behaviour?
The man’s behaviour seemed rather odd.
step noun [countable] one of a series of things that you do in order to deal with a problem or to succeed:
The first step is to make sure we have got funding for the project.
We must take steps to make sure that this does not happen again.
This is an important step towards peace.
measure noun [countable] an official action that is intended to deal with a particular problem:
There are increased security measures at airports.
The school was closed as a precautionary measure following a chemical leak.
gesture noun [countable] something that you do to show how you feel about someone or something:
Do you think it would be a nice gesture to send her some flowers?
⇒ gesture of goodwill/solidarity/defiance:
The company gave us £100 as a gesture of goodwill.
deed noun [countable] especially literary an action, especially one that is very good or very bad:
evil deeds
heroic deeds
This is my good deed for the day.
exploits noun [plural] formal exciting or brave actions:
daring exploits
His exploits were legendary.
feat noun [countable] something someone does that people admire because you need a lot of skill, courage, or strength to do it:
Completing a marathon is a remarkable feat for a six-year-old.
The bridge is a great feat of engineering.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

peace a situation in which there is no war or fighting:
There has been peace in the region for six years now.
truce an agreement to stop fighting or arguing with each other for a limited period of time:
The rebels have ended a 17-month-old truce.
He called for a truce between Israeli and Palestinian forces.
There was an uneasy truce between Lily and Stephen at dinner.
ceasefire an agreement to stop fighting for a limited period of time, especially in order to discuss making peace:
The two sides agreed to a ceasefire which would come into force immediately.
armistice a formal agreement to stop fighting a war and to discuss making peace:
The Korean armistice was signed in July 1953.
calm a situation in which there is no violence, argument, or protest:
Attempts by the police to restore calm in the area failed.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲