I. calm 1 S3 W3 /kɑːm $ kɑːm, kɑːlm/ BrE AmE 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]
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THESAURUS
▪ calm not getting angry, nervous, or upset, even in a difficult situation:
We’ll talk about this later when you’re feeling calmer.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
II. calm 2 BrE AmE 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
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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.
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He called for a truce between Israeli and Palestinian forces.
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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.
III. calm 3 BrE AmE ( 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.
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THESAURUS
■ not moving
▪ 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.
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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.