[ kahm; older use kam; spelling pronunciation kahlm ]
/ kɑm; older use kæm; spelling pronunciation kɑlm /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR calm ON THESAURUS.COM
adjective,calm·er,calm·est.
without rough motion; still or nearly still: a calm sea.
not windy or stormy: a calm day.
free from excitement or passion; tranquil: a calm face;a calm manner.
noun
freedom from motion or disturbance; stillness.
Meteorology. wind speed of less than 1 mile per hour (0.447 meter per second).
freedom from agitation, excitement, or passion; tranquillity; serenity: She faced the possibility of death with complete calm.
verb (used with object)
to make calm: He calmed the excited dog.
verb (used without object)
to become calm (usually followed by down).
Origin of calm
First recorded in 1350–1400; (noun and adjective) Middle English calm(e), from Italian calma (noun), calmo (adjective), from Late Latin cauma “summer heat” (with l perhaps from Latin calēre “to be hot”), from Greek kaûma (stem kaumat- ) “burning heat”; akin to kaíein “to burn” (see caustic); (verb) Middle English calmen, from Italian calmare, derivative of the noun
3. Calm,collected,composed,cool imply the absence of agitation. Calm implies an unruffled state, especially under disturbing conditions: calm in a crisis.Collected implies complete inner command of oneself, usually as the result of an effort: He remained collected in spite of the excitement. One who is composed has or has gained dignified self-possession: pale but composed.Cool implies clarity of judgment along with apparent absence of strong feeling or excitement, especially in circumstances of danger or strain: so cool that he seemed calm.
Since many of us will be homebodies this season, here are some ways to keep cool, calm and collected in your own space.
8 Summer Must-Haves for Keeping Cool|Joy Nesbitt|July 4, 2020|Ozy
We are redoubling our efforts to keep the beaches and local businesses open, and get to a sense of calmer waters, but July 4 weekend will look a bit different this year.
Safety first this July 4th|Lee Ann Wilkinson|July 4, 2020|Washington Blade
A few days later, he let me row through some baby rapids, telling me where to aim the boat, giving me calm instructions to adjust the trajectory a little left or a little right.
The Eye-Opening Month I Spent Rafting the Grand Canyon|Brendan Leonard|June 30, 2020|Outside Online
This is sort of a game but it’s mostly a way to calm yourself down since there’s not really any way to lose or compete.
This Weekend: See Your World in Rainbow Colors|Fiona Zublin|June 26, 2020|Ozy
Wholesome, positive –if not strange and mindless– content has become a balm to cure our anxiety, making it a great way of communication, a form of self-care that fills a void and provides a sense of calm that sheet masks and sourdough cannot.
Chaotic communication: COVID-19 is rewriting our cultural rules of connection|Megan Routh|June 11, 2020|Search Engine Watch
The government continues to call for calm while warning people to be on their guard.
France’s Wave of Crazy-Terror Christmas Attacks|Christopher Dickey|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He allows the subject to float over to Hitchcock with a calm directness that I admire.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A doctor comes to his house and gives him shots of cortisone to calm the arthritic pain in his knees.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still, he said he expects Novartis to provide further documentation to calm fears.
Did This Flu Vaccine Kill 13?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The only issue was whether “we can get [Blanc] calm and able to talk lol.”
The Secret World of Pickup Artist Julien Blanc|Brandy Zadrozny|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was the wise guidance, judicious and calm leadership of the men in these schools that saved the day at Atlanta.
Twenty-Five Years in the Black Belt|William James Edwards
Calm and quiet when danger raged, he could inspire in his comrades a boundless confidence.
The Heart of Pinocchio|Collodi Nipote
But he had very strong feelings underneath his calm exterior, and the approach to Lucy's home gave him many thoughts.
Sir Tom|Mrs. Oliphant
The doctor, whom she met there, said that this state of calm was very possibly only transitory.
Robert Elsmere|Mrs. Humphry Ward
He then started to cuss at us, and so forth, and I tried to talk to him to calm him down.
Warren Commission (4 of 26): Hearings Vol. IV (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
British Dictionary definitions for calm
calm
/ (kɑːm) /
adjective
almost without motion; stilla calm sea
meteorolof force 0 on the Beaufort scale; without wind
not disturbed, agitated, or excited; under controlhe stayed calm throughout the confusion
tranquil; serenea calm voice
noun
an absence of disturbance or rough motion; stillness
absence of wind
tranquillity
verb
(often foll by down)to make or become calm
Derived forms of calm
calmly, adverbcalmness, noun
Word Origin for calm
C14: from Old French calme, from Old Italian calma, from Late Latin cauma heat, hence a rest during the heat of the day, from Greek kauma heat, from kaiein to burn