placid
gb/plˈæsɪd/ us/plˈæsɪd/
B2
English
~ 7800
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
calm and peaceful; not easily upset
Calm and quiet, and not easily upset or made excited.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is placid
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "placid" can only describe people, but it is very commonly used for water, weather, and places (e.g., a placid lake, placid countryside). It is also easy to confuse in sound with "plastic" or "placard", which are unrelated words.
Synonyms
calm (More common and general; can describe situations, people, or feelings without the slightly literary tone of "placid".)
|
tranquil (Often used for places or scenes; sounds more formal and poetic than "placid".)
|
serene (Suggests a deeper, sometimes almost spiritual calm, stronger and more elevated than "placid".)
Antonyms
agitated (Describes someone who is visibly upset or nervous, the opposite of placid behavior.)
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turbulent (Often used for air or water that is rough and disturbed, the opposite of placid conditions.)
Collocations
placid lake
|placid waters
|placid expression
|placid demeanor
|placid temperament
|placid countryside
Themes
emotions
|personality
|nature
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The horse was so placid that even small children could ride it safely.
- They spent the afternoon rowing across the placid lake.
- Her placid expression made it hard to tell whether she was worried.
- Life in the placid village moved at a very slow pace.
- Despite the chaos around him, his voice remained low and placid.
Learner examples
- The baby finally became placid and fell asleep.
- We looked at the mountains in the placid morning light.
- He has a placid dog that never barks.
- The sea was placid, so the boat did not move much.
- She spoke in a placid, gentle voice.
adjective
C1
property
2
showing little emotion; not easily excited
Very calm and not showing strong feelings, sometimes in a way that seems too quiet or not caring.
Usage pattern:
[someone] has a placid [attitude/response]
Common mistake:
Learners may assume "placid" is always positive, but in this sense it can sometimes suggest that a person is too calm, uncaring, or slow to react, depending on context.
Synonyms
impassive (Emphasizes showing almost no emotion on the face, and can sound more negative or cold than "placid".)
Antonyms
excitable (Describes someone who reacts quickly and strongly to things, the opposite of a placid personality.)
|
high-strung (Informal; describes someone very nervous and easily upset, contrasting with placid calmness.)
Collocations
placid acceptance
|placid response
|placid smile
|placid look
|placid manner
|placid indifference
Themes
emotions
|personality
|attitude
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She listened with placid acceptance as the doctor explained the risks.
- His placid smile never faded, even when they accused him of lying.
- The politician’s placid response to the scandal angered many voters.
- He remained placid while everyone around him was shouting.
- There was something unsettling about the child's placid stare.
Learner examples
- He has a placid nature and almost never gets angry.
- She gave a placid answer, as if nothing was wrong.
- His face stayed placid when he heard the bad news.
- The students were not placid; only the teacher was placid about the exam.
- People liked her placid, quiet way of speaking.
Grammar
Dictionary form
placid
IPA
GB/plˈæsɪd/
US/plˈæsɪd/
Syllables & stress
pla - cid (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pla)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: placid
Word family
Core family
placidly
adverb C1
Related words
placidity
noun
placate
verb
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.