balmy

English

WOTD – 6 October 2009

Etymology

From balm +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑː.mi/
• Rhymes: -ɑːmi

Adjective

balmy (comparative balmier, superlative balmiest)

1. Producing balm.
2. Soothing or fragrant.
3. Mild and pleasant.
4. (informal) Foolish; slightly crazy or mad; eccentric.
   • Roald Dahl, Parson's Pleasure

     'I reckon he's balmy,' Claud said, and Bert grinned darkly, rolling his misty eye slowly round in its socket.

Related terms

• (foolish): barmy (UK)

Translations

soothing or fragrant

• Bulgarian: ароматичен (bg) (aromatičen), уханен (uhanen)
• Danish: balsamisk (da)
• Finnish: leppoisa (fi), rauhoittava (fi) (soothing), tuoksuva (fragrant)
• French: embaumant (fr), suave (fr)
• German: lindernd, mildernd (de), sanft (de)

• Hungarian: balzsamos (hu), illatos (hu)
• Irish: balsamach

  Old Irish: balsamach

• Russian: арома́тный (ru) (aromátnyj), благоуханный (ru) (blagouxannyj)
• Tamil: குணப்படுத்தத் தக்க (kuṇappaṭuttat takka), மென்மையான (meṉmaiyāṉa)

mild and pleasant

• Bulgarian: мек (bg) (mek), нежен (bg) (nežen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 温暖惬意的

• Danish: balsamisk (da)
• Finnish: leppeä (fi), lempeä (fi), leuto (fi)
• French: doux (fr)

• German: mild (de), sanft (de)
• Hungarian: balzsamos (hu), enyhe (hu)
• Irish: balsamach
• Maori: tūāhuru (of the weather)
• Russian: не́жный (ru) (néžnyj)

colloquial: foolish

• Bulgarian: смахнат (bg) (smahnat)
• Finnish: hämy (fi)

• Hungarian: bolondos (hu), hóbortos (hu)