calm
Not angry, afraid, or very excited, especially when something is difficult or stressful.
Not showing or feeling strong emotion such as anger, fear, or excitement, especially in a difficult situation.
Quiet and peaceful, with not much noise, movement, or trouble.
Quiet and peaceful, with little or no noise, movement, or activity, and no signs of trouble or violence.
To help someone feel less angry, afraid, or excited.
To make a person, animal, or group less angry, afraid, excited, or noisy.
To stop feeling so angry, afraid, or excited and feel more relaxed.
To become less angry, afraid, excited, or active; to return to a quieter or more controlled state.
A feeling of peace and no strong bad emotions like anger or fear.
A mental or emotional state in which you feel peaceful, relaxed, and not affected by anger, fear, or excitement.
A short time when there is very little wind, noise, or activity.
A time when there is little or no wind, noise, movement, or trouble, especially compared to what happens before or after.
- Base: calm
- Comparative: calmer
- Superlative: calmest
- Base: calm
- Plural: calm
- Base: calm
- 3rd Person Singular: calms
- Present Participle: calming
- Past: calmed
calm your nerves
1reduce your nervous feelings
To make yourself feel less nervous or afraid.
- She drank a glass of water to calm her nerves before speaking.
- Deep breathing can help calm your nerves before an exam.
calm your nerves
1reduce your nervous feelings
To feel less nervous.
- She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.
- A cup of tea helped calm my nerves.
- He tried to calm his nerves by joking with friends.
- I listen to music to calm my nerves.
calm, cool, and collected
1very calm and self-controlled
Very calm and in control of your feelings, especially in a difficult or stressful situation.
- She stayed calm, cool, and collected while everyone else panicked.
- You need someone calm, cool, and collected to lead the team.
dead calm
1completely still with no wind
Completely still, with no wind or movement.
- The sea was dead calm under the moonlight.
- Everything was dead calm before the fireworks started.
keep calm
1continue to stay calm
To stay calm and not show strong emotion, especially in a difficult situation.
- Whatever happens, try to keep calm and be polite.
- The doctor told the parents to keep calm while they waited for news.
keep calm and carry on
1stay calm and continue
To stay calm and continue what you are doing, even when things are difficult or frightening.
- In difficult times, all we can do is keep calm and carry on.
- The slogan "Keep calm and carry on" is printed on many posters and mugs.
keep calm and carry on
1stay positive and continue
stay calm and continue working
- When the schedule changed again, she just said, 'Keep calm and carry on.'
- The poster in the hallway read 'Keep calm and carry on.'
- He tried to follow a keep-calm-and-carry-on attitude during the crisis.
- Keep calm and carry on.
remain calm
1continue in a calm state
To keep feeling and acting calm, especially when something bad or surprising happens.
- Passengers are asked to remain calm and wait for further information.
- He managed to remain calm throughout the interview.
remain calm
1stay calm (formal)
to stay calm (often in announcements)
- Passengers were told to remain calm and stay seated.
- He remained calm throughout the interview.
- Please remain calm while we resolve the issue.
- Remain calm and wait.
restore calm
1make things peaceful again
To make a place or situation quiet and peaceful again after trouble or noise.
- Police quickly restored calm after the fight broke out.
- The teacher raised her hand to restore calm in the noisy classroom.
stay calm
1remain not upset or afraid
To not become angry, afraid, or very excited in a situation.
- Please stay calm and follow the instructions.
- It is important to stay calm in an emergency.
stay calm
1remain calm
don’t get nervous or angry
- Stay calm and listen to the instructions.
- She tried to stay calm, but her hands were shaking.
- If you stay calm, it’s easier to think clearly.
- Stay calm, please.
- I try to stay calm.
the calm before the storm
1quiet time before trouble starts
A quiet, peaceful time just before something busy, difficult, or bad happens.
- The office is very quiet today; it feels like the calm before the storm.
- The small argument at dinner was just the calm before the storm of a bigger fight.
the calm before the storm
1quiet time before trouble
a quiet time just before a difficult time
- The office was quiet at 8 a.m.—the calm before the storm.
- Their friendly meeting turned out to be the calm before the storm.
- The weeks before the election felt like the calm before the storm.
calm down
1become or make less upset
To stop feeling very angry, afraid, or excited, or to help someone else stop feeling this way.
- She took a deep breath to calm down.
- You need to calm down and think about this carefully.
- Please calm down and explain what happened.
- The teacher tried to calm the class down after the loud noise.
- He didn’t calm down until he got an answer from the doctor.
calm down
1become less upset
to stop being angry or worried
- Take a minute to calm down before you reply.
- She calmed him down by speaking quietly.
- He finally calmed down after he realized it was a misunderstanding.
- Please calm down.
- I need to calm down.