calm

See also: CALM

English

Alternative forms

• calme (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English calm, calme, from Middle French calme, probably from Old Italian calma, of uncertain origin. Calma may derive from Late Latin cauma (“heat of the midday sun”), from Ancient Greek καῦμα (kaûma, “heat, especially of the sun”), from καίω (kaíō, “I burn”), or possibly from Latin caleō. Compare also Lombardic *chalm, *chalma (“frozenness”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kalmaz (“frozenness, cold”).

Displaced native Middle English smilte (“quiet, still, gentle”) from Old English smylte (“quiet, tranquil, calm, serene”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɑm/, /kɑlm/, /kɔlm/, (archaic) /kæm/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Received Pronunciation, England, Wales) IPA^(key): /kɑːm/, [kʰɑːm]
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /kaːm/, [kʰɐːm]
• (Canada) IPA^(key): [kʰäː(ɫ)m], [kʰɒː(ɫ)m], [kʰa(ː)m]
• (Ireland, Scotland) IPA^(key): /kam/
• (nonstandard, now chiefly dialectal) IPA^(key): /kaɹm/
• Rhymes: -ɑːm, -ɑːlm, -ɔːlm, -ɔːm, -æm

Adjective

calm (comparative calmer or more calm, superlative calmest or most calm)

1. (of a person) Peaceful, quiet, especially free from anger and anxiety.

   Antonyms: stressed, nervous, anxious

2. (of a place or situation) Free of noise and disturbance.

   Antonym: disturbed

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:

     Calm is the morn without a sound,
     ⁠Calm as to suit a calmer grief,
     ⁠And only thro’ the faded leaf
     The chestnut pattering to the ground: […]

3. (of water) with few or no waves on the surface; not rippled.
4. (of weather) Without wind or storm.

   Antonyms: windy, stormy

5. (slang, MLE) Good; alright; cool; OK.
   • 2017, “Uber Everywhere Freestyle 2”‎^[1]performed by Cadet (rapper):

     Hi, welcome to Puma. If you need any help, my name's Kelly. That's calm, man […] Thirty pounds is the limit, I think you'll pay no more, I'm sorry. Aight, fuck it! What, can I do chip and pin. Calm, I'ma put my pin in like boom!

   • 2019 May 9, “Bullet from a Gun” (track 1), in Ignorance is Bliss‎^[2], performed by Skepta:

     Been living my life as a Kingpin. I'm calm with the heat of the kitchen.

   • 2021 January 17, “Own Brand Freestyle” (track 24), in Beijing Winter Games 2022‎^[3], performed by FelixThe1st, Dreya Mac, Finch Fetti:

     Flexed up like they really move pally (Pally). I don't want ish just at me (At me). I just want money, that's calm (Calm). Teenager, never worry 'bout acne (Finch Fetti, Finch Fetti)

   • 2021 October 15, “100 Bags Freestyle”‎^[4]performed by Yung Filly:

     I really hit for the long ting, calm (Ha, ha). Who would've thought you woulda heard Yung Filly on drill (Filly on drill).

Usage notes

Although a place or environment that makes one calm is usually called calm, a thing that makes one calm (such as a film, a beverage, or someone's voice) would not be called calm; instead, it would be called calming.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:calm

Derived terms

• becalm
• calm and collected
• calm as a cucumber
• calm as a millpond
• calm blue ocean
• calmen
• calmish
• calmly
• calmness
• calmth
• calm wind
• cool, calm and collected
• encalm
• ice-calm
• uncalm
• uncalmable

Translations

free from anger and anxiety

• Apache:

  Western Apache: nkegohenʼą́ą́go

• Arabic: هَادِئ (hādiʔ)
• Armenian: հանգիստ (hy) (hangist), հանդարտ (hy) (handart), խախանդ (hy) (xaxand)
• Assamese: শান্ত (xanto), শাঁত (xãt)
• Aymara: aliqa (ay)
• Azerbaijani: arxayın
• Bashkir: тыныс (tınıs)
• Belarusian: спако́йны (be) (spakójny)
• Bulgarian: спокоен (bg) (spokoen)
• Catalan: calm (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 平靜 / 平静 (zh) (píngjìng), 安靜 / 安静 (zh) (ānjìng)

• Corsican: calmu (co)
• Czech: klidný (cs) m
• Danish: rolig (da)
• Dutch: vredig (nl), kalm (nl)
• Esperanto: trankvila (eo)
• Finnish: rauhallinen (fi), tyyni (fi), levollinen (fi)
• French: calme (fr)
• Galician: calmo m
• Georgian: მშვიდი (mšvidi), წყნარი (ka) (c̣q̇nari)
• German: ruhig (de)
• Gothic: 𐌵𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍂𐌿𐍃 (qairrus)
• Greek: ήρεμος (el) (íremos)

  Ancient: γαληνός (galēnós)

• Hebrew: רגוע (he) m (ragua)
• Hindi: शांत (hi) (śānt)
• Hungarian: nyugodt (hu)
• Irish: suaimhneach, socair
• Italian: calmo (it)
• Japanese: 穏やかな (ja) (odayaka na), 静かな (ja) (shizuka na), 平穏な (ja) (heion na)
• Kazakh: жуас (juas)
• Korean: 고요하다 (ko) (goyohada), 잠잠하다 (ko) (jamjamhada)
• Kumyk: юваш (yuwaş)
• Latgalian: romons, mīrons
• Latin: tranquillus, sēdātus, placidus
• Latvian: rāms (lv)
• Lithuanian: ramus (lt)
• Macedonian: ми́рен (míren)
• Malay: tenang (ms)
• Maori: āio, mauritau
• Northern Sami: ráfálaš
• Norwegian Bokmål: rolig (no)
• Norwegian Nynorsk: roleg
• Occitan: calme (oc)
• Old English: smylte, stille
• Ottoman Turkish: ساكن (sakin), دولك (dölek)
• Persian: آرام (fa) (ârâm)
• Polish: spokojny (pl) m, opanowany (pl) m
• Portuguese: tranquilo (pt), calmo (pt), sossegado (pt)
• Romanian: liniștit (ro), calm (ro)
• Russian: споко́йный (ru) m (spokójnyj), ти́хий (ru) m (tíxij)
• Scottish Gaelic: suaimhneach
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: миран

  Roman: miran (sh)

• Slovak: pokojný (sk)
• Slovene: miren (sl)
• Southern Altai: јобош (ǰoboš)
• Spanish: calmado (es), surto (es) (p. us.), calmo (es)
• Swedish: lugn (sv), rofylld (sv)
• Tajik: ором (tg) (orom)
• Tok Pisin: belisi
• Turkish: sakin (tr), durgun (tr), dingin (tr)
• Ukrainian: спокі́йний (spokíjnyj)
• Venetan: cet (vec)
• Yiddish: רויִק (ruik)
• Zazaki: vınderde, sakin

free of noise and disturbance

• Armenian: հանգիստ (hy) (hangist), հանդարտ (hy) (handart), խախանդ (hy) (xaxand)
• Bashkir: тыныс (tınıs)
• Belarusian: спакойны (be) (spakójny)
• Bulgarian: тих (bg) (tih), мирен (bg) (miren)
• Catalan: calm (ca)
• Czech: klidný (cs) m
• Danish: rolig (da), stille (da)
• Dutch: kalm (nl), rustig (nl)
• Esperanto: serena
• Finnish: rauhallinen (fi), tyyni (fi), levollinen (fi)
• French: calme (fr) m or f, tranquille (fr)
• Georgian: წყნარი (ka) (c̣q̇nari), მშვიდი (mšvidi)
• German: ruhig (de)
• Greek: γαλήνιος (el) (galínios)
• Hebrew: שלוו (shalev)
• Hindi: शांत (hi) (śānt)
• Hungarian: csendes (hu)
• Ingrian: tyyni
• Irish: suaimhneach, socair, ciúin
• Japanese: 平穏な (ja) (heion na), 泰平な (ja) (taihei na), 平静な (ja) (heisei na)
• Latin: tranquillus, placidus
• Luxembourgish: roueg
• Macedonian: ми́рен (míren), спо́коен (spókoen), ти́вок (tívok)
• Maori: āio
• Northern Sami: ráfálaš, goalki
• Norwegian Bokmål: rolig (no), fredelig (no)
• Norwegian Nynorsk: roleg, fredeleg
• Old English: smylte, stille
• Plautdietsch: stell
• Polish: cichy (pl), spokojny (pl)
• Portuguese: tranquilo (pt), calmo (pt)
• Romanian: liniștit (ro), calm (ro), senin (ro)
• Russian: споко́йный (ru) (spokójnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: suaimhneach
• Spanish: calmado (es)
• Swedish: lugn (sv), stilla (sv)
• Tatar: калим (qälim)
• Turkish: sakin (tr), durgun (tr), dingin (tr)
• Ukrainian: спокі́йний (spokíjnyj), за́ти́шни́й (zátýšnýj)
• Uzbek: sokin (uz)
• Yiddish: רויִק (ruik)

(of water) with few or no waves on the surface

• Aklanon: malinaw
• Danish: stille (da)
• Dutch: kalm (nl)
• Georgian: წყნარი (ka) (c̣q̇nari)
• Greek:

  Ancient: γαληνός (galēnós)

• Hebrew: דִּמְמַת רוּחַ (he) f (dimemat ruakh), גַּלֵּינֵי (he) m (galeyney), שְׁטִיל (he) m (shtil)
• Hindi: शांत (hi) (śānt)
• Ingrian: tyyni
• Malay: tenang (ms)
• Maori: āio, hāro, marino
• Maranao: malinaw
• Northern Sami: goalki
• Old English: smylte, stille
• Polish: spokojny (pl) m
• Portuguese: tranquilo (pt), calmo (pt)
• Romanian: liniștit (ro), calm (ro)
• Spanish: glaxo (Peru)
• Swedish: stilla (sv)
• Turkish: sakin (tr), durgun (tr), dingin (tr)

without wind or storm

• Bulgarian: безветрен (bg) (bezvetren)
• Dutch: windstil (nl)
• French: calme (fr) m or f
• Georgian: წყნარი (ka) (c̣q̇nari)
• German: windstill (de)
• Ingrian: tyyni
• Japanese: 穏やかな (ja) (odayaka na), 無風の (ja) (mufū no)
• Macedonian: бе́зветрен (bézvetren)
• Maori: tāhengihengi, mārū (of the weather)
• Northern Sami: goalki
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: vindstille

• Old English: smylte, stille
• Pitjantjatjara: atan
• Romanian: liniștit (ro), calm (ro), senin (ro)
• Spanish: calmado (es), galeno (es)
• Swedish: vindstilla (sv)
• Turkish: sakin (tr), dingin (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Irish: ^{(please verify)} calma
• Mongolian: ^{(please verify)} дөлгөөн (mn) (dölgöön)

Noun

calm (countable and uncountable, plural calms)

1. (in a person) The state of being calm; peacefulness; absence of worry, anger, fear or other strong negative emotion.
   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:

     Calm on the seas, and silver sleep,
     ⁠And waves that sway themselves in rest,
     ⁠And dead calm in that noble breast
     Which heaves but with the heaving deep.

2. (in a place or situation) The state of being calm; absence of noise and disturbance.
3. (meteorology) The absense of wind; a period of time without wind.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 4:39:

     The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 64, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 324:

     It was a calm ; so, forming a tandem of three boats, we commenced the slow business of towing the trophy to the Pequod.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:calmness

Derived terms

• calm before the storm
• calmful
• calmy
• clock calm
• dead calm
• ice-calm

Translations

condition of being unworried and free from anger

• Armenian: հանգստություն (hy) (hangstutʻyun), խաղաղություն (hy) (xaġaġutʻyun)
• Bulgarian: спокойствие (bg) n (spokojstvie), покой (bg) m (pokoj)
• Catalan: calma (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 平靜 / 平静 (zh) (píngjìng)

• Czech: klid (cs) m
• Danish: ro (da) c
• Dutch: sereniteit (nl) f
• Finnish: rauhallisuus (fi), tyyneys (fi), levollisuus (fi)
• Greek: ηρεμία (el) f (iremía)
• Hebrew: רוגע m (roga)
• Japanese: 平穏 (ja) (heion), 平静 (ja) (heisei)
• Macedonian: спо́којство n (spókojstvo), спо́кој m (spókoj), мир (mk) m (mir)
• Northern Sami: ráfálašvuohta
• Polish: spokój (pl) m
• Portuguese: calma (pt) f
• Romanian: liniște (ro) f
• Russian: поко́й (ru) m (pokój), споко́йствие (ru) n (spokójstvije)
• Spanish: sosiego (es) m, calma (es) f
• Swedish: ro (sv) c, lugn (sv) n
• Turkish: sükûnet (tr), dinginlik (tr)
• Ukrainian: спо́кій m (spókij)

the state with absence of noise and disturbance

• Armenian: հանգիստ (hy) (hangist), խաղաղություն (hy) (xaġaġutʻyun)
• Bulgarian: тишина (bg) f (tišina)
• Catalan: calma (ca) f
• Danish: ro (da) c, stilhed (da)
• Dutch: rust (nl) m or f
• Finnish: rauhallisuus (fi), tyyneys (fi), levollisuus (fi)
• German: Ruhe (de) f
• Greek: γαλήνη (el) f (galíni), ησυχία (el) f (isychía)

  Ancient: ἡσυχία f (hēsukhía)

• Hebrew: שלווה (he) f (shalva)
• Japanese: 平安 (ja) (heian), 平静 (ja) (heisei)
• Latin: quiēs (la) f
• Macedonian: ти́шина f (tíšina)
• Northern Sami: goalki
• Polish: spokój (pl) m
• Portuguese: calma (pt) f, tranquilidade (pt) f, sossego (pt) m
• Romanian: liniște (ro) f
• Russian: поко́й (ru) m (pokój), тишина́ (ru) f (tišiná)
• Spanish: sosiego (es) m
• Swedish: ro (sv) c, stillhet (sv) c, lugn (sv) n
• Tatar: калим (qälim)
• Turkish: sükûnet (tr), dinginlik (tr)
• Ukrainian: спо́кій m (spókij)

period without wind

• Bulgarian: безветрие (bg) n (bezvetrie), затишие (bg) n (zatišie)
• Catalan: calma (ca) f
• Danish: vindstille
• Dutch: windstilte (nl) f
• Estonian: tuulevaikus
• Finnish: tyven (fi), tyyni (fi), pläkä
• French: calme plat (fr) m, calme (fr) m
• German: Windstille (de) f
• Gothic: 𐍅𐌹𐍃 n (wis)
• Greek:

  Ancient: γαλήνη f (galḗnē)

• Hungarian: szélcsend (hu)
• Japanese: 無風 (ja) (mufū)
• Latin: malacia f
• Macedonian: зати́шие n (zatíšie), за́тишје n (zátišje), безве́трина f (bezvétrina), безве́трие n (bezvétrie) (archaic)
• Maori: rahopē (refers to condition at sea), āio
• Northern Sami: goalki
• Polish: cisza (pl) f, flauta (pl) f (nautical)
• Portuguese: calmaria (pt) f
• Russian: зати́шье (ru) n (zatíšʹje), безве́трие (ru) n (bezvétrije), штиль (ru) m (štilʹ) (nautical)
• Scottish Gaelic: fèath m or f
• Spanish: calma (es) f
• Swahili: shwari (sw)
• Swedish: stiltje (sv), bleke (sv), vindstilla (sv) c
• Turkish: dinginlik (tr)
• Ukrainian: зати́шшя n (zatýššja), безві́тря (uk) n (bezvítrja)

Verb

calm (third-person singular simple present calms, present participle calming, simple past and past participle calmed)

1. (transitive) To make calm.

   to calm a crying baby

   to calm the passions

   • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     to calm the tempest raised by Aeolus

2. (intransitive) To become calm.

Synonyms

• allay, appease, calm down, cool off, ease, pacify, quieten, soothe, subdue

Antonyms

• agitate
• excite

Derived terms

• calm down
• calm your tits
• calm your titties

Translations

to make calm

• Arabic: طَمْأَنَ (ṭamʔana‬)
• Belarusian: супако́йваць impf (supakójvacʹ), заспако́йваць impf (zaspakójvacʹ)
• Bulgarian: успокоявам (bg) (uspokojavam), усмирявам (bg) (usmirjavam)
• Catalan: calmar (ca)
• Czech: uklidnit (cs)
• Danish: berolige
• Dutch: kalmeren (nl), gerust stellen
• Finnish: tyynnyttää (fi), rauhoittaa (fi)
• French: calmer (fr), apaiser (fr)
• Galician: calmar (gl)
• German: beruhigen (de), ruhig stellen
• Greek: ηρεμώ (el) (iremó)
• Hebrew: הרגיע (hirgía)
• Hungarian: megnyugtat (hu), lecsendesít (hu)
• Ido: kalmigar (io)
• Japanese: 静める (ja) (shizumeru), なだめる (ja)
• Kabuverdianu: branda, brandá, kalma, kalmá, sosega, sosegá
• Latin: sēdō
• Lingala: bondo
• Macedonian: сми́ри (smíri), успо́кои (uspókoi)
• Maori: roki (of waves), whakarokiroki (of waves), whakarangimārie
• Northern Sami: ráfohit, ráfáiduhttit
• Norwegian Bokmål: roe (no), berolige
• Norwegian Nynorsk: roe
• Old English: *smyltan, stillan
• Polish: uspokajać (pl) impf, uspokoić (pl) pf
• Portuguese: acalmar (pt)
• Romanian: liniști (ro), calma (ro), potoli (ro)
• Russian: успока́ивать (ru) impf (uspokáivatʹ), успоко́ить (ru) pf (uspokóitʹ)
• Swedish: lugna (sv), stilla (sv), blidka (sv), beveka (sv)
• Tatar: калим (qälim)
• Turkish: sakinleştirmek (tr), dindirmek (tr) (wind, tears etc), yatıştırmak (tr)
• Ukrainian: заспоко́ювати impf (zaspokójuvaty), заспоко́їти pf (zaspokójity)

to become calm

• Bulgarian: успокоявам се (uspokojavam se), стихвам (bg) (stihvam)
• Catalan: calmar (ca)
• Czech: uklidnit (cs)
• Danish: blive stille, blive rolig
• Dutch: afkoelen (nl), kalmeren (nl)
• Finnish: tyyntyä (fi), rauhoittua (fi)
• Galician: calmar (gl), acougar (gl), sosegar
• Hebrew: נרגע (nirgá)
• Hungarian: megnyugszik (hu), lecsendesül (hu)
• Ido: kalmeskar (io)
• Japanese: 静まる (ja) (shizumaru)
• Khiamniungan Naga: tànglō
• Macedonian: се сми́ри (se smíri)
• Northern Sami: ráfut
• Norwegian: roe seg
• Old English: *smyltan, stillan
• Ottoman Turkish: دولنمك (dölenmek)
• Pitjantjatjara: atanarinyi (wind or weather)
• Polish: uspokajać się impf, uspokoić się pf
• Portuguese: acalmar-se, ficar calmo
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} se liniști (ro)
• Russian: успока́иваться (ru) impf (uspokáivatʹsja), успокои́ться (ru) pf (uspokoítʹsja)
• Swedish: lugna (sv) sig
• Turkish: sakinleşmek (tr), dinmek (tr) (wind, tears etc)

Anagrams

• ALCM, CAML, CLAM, Caml, Malc, clam

Catalan

Etymology

From calma, probably in imitation of French calme (adjective) and Spanish calmo.

Adjective

calm (feminine calma, masculine plural calms, feminine plural calmes)

1. calm

Related terms

• calma
• calmar

Middle English

Noun

calm

1. alternative form of calme

Adjective

calm

1. alternative form of calme

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French calme.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

calm n (plural calmuri)

1. composure (calmness of mind or matter, self-possession)

Related terms

• calma