calm
not excited, angry, or afraid
Not angry, afraid, or very excited, especially when something is difficult or stressful.
[someone] is/feels/remains calm (about [something])
- She stayed calm and focused during the interview.
- Try to stay calm when you talk to him about the problem.
- Even in emergencies, the nurse remains calm and gives clear instructions.
- He sounded calm on the phone, but I could tell he was worried.
- Meditation helps her feel calm before important meetings.
- Please stay calm and listen to me.
- He is very calm in an accident.
- The teacher was calm when the fire alarm rang.
- I try to stay calm before an exam.
- She feels calm after a long walk.
peaceful and quiet place or time
Quiet and peaceful, with not much noise, movement, or trouble.
[a place/time/situation] is calm
- The lake was completely calm early in the morning.
- After the protest, the streets were calm again.
- We enjoyed a calm afternoon in the park.
- The city is surprisingly calm at dawn.
- The weather turned calm after two days of strong winds.
- The sea is calm today.
- The house is calm when the children are at school.
- It was a calm night with no wind.
- The classroom became calm after the teacher came in.
- The city is not calm during the festival.
make someone less upset or afraid
To help someone feel less angry, afraid, or excited.
to calm [someone/something] (down)
- The nurse spoke softly to calm the frightened child.
- Breathing exercises can help calm your nerves before a test.
- Police tried to calm the crowd after the announcement.
- He made a joke to calm everyone down.
- The music seemed to calm the dog during the storm.
- She tried to calm her friend.
- The mother calmed the crying baby.
- He told a story to calm the children down.
- Tea helps to calm my nerves before bed.
- The teacher calmed the class after the loud noise.
become less upset or active
To stop feeling so angry, afraid, or excited and feel more relaxed.
[someone/something] calms (down)
- He was very angry at first, but he calmed down after a few minutes.
- Once the storm calmed, we went outside to look at the damage.
- Things will calm down at work after the holidays.
- The children finally calmed down and went to sleep.
- Her breathing calmed as she focused on the instructions.
- Please calm down and tell me what happened.
- After the fight, they calmed down and talked.
- The wind calmed in the evening.
- Work is very busy now, but it will calm down soon.
- He calmed down after he drank some water.
state of inner peace
A feeling of peace and no strong bad emotions like anger or fear.
[someone] feels/has/finds [a sense of] calm
- Yoga gives her a sense of calm at the end of a busy day.
- He breathed slowly until a feeling of calm returned.
- There was a deep calm inside him as he waited for the results.
- Music can bring calm to patients before surgery.
- She tried to hold on to her calm during the argument.
- The warm bath gave him calm.
- She feels a sense of calm in the park.
- Slow breathing helps me find calm.
- He lost his calm when he heard the bad news.
- The quiet room brings me calm after work.
short period of quiet or stillness
A short time when there is very little wind, noise, or activity.
a calm before/after [event]
- There was a brief calm before the storm hit the coast.
- In the calm that followed the explosion, no one spoke.
- After hours of strong wind, a dead calm settled over the sea.
- The office enjoyed a rare calm between major projects.
- We used the calm after the crisis to review our plans.
- We waited in a calm before the big game started.
- There was a calm after the loud argument.
- Sailors do not like a long calm at sea.
- The city had a short calm before the parade began again.
- In the calm after the storm, people walked outside.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.