balmy

English

WOTD – 6 October 2009

Etymology

From balm +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑː.mi/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːmi

Adjective

balmy (comparative balmier, superlative balmiest)

1. Producing balm.
2. Soothing or fragrant.
3. Mild and pleasant.
4. (informal, US) Foolish; slightly crazy or mad; eccentric.

   Synonym: barmy (UK)

   • (Can we date this quote?), 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.

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 (de), 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), agréable (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)

• French: cintré (fr), fou (fr), bizarre (fr)
• Hungarian: bolondos (hu), hóbortos (hu)

Anagrams

• lamby