calm

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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 (quite, still, gentle) from Old English smylte (quiet, tranquil, calm, serene).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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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
  3. (of water) with few or no waves on the surface; not rippled.
  4. Without wind or storm.
    Antonyms: windy, stormy

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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

Noun

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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.
  2. (in a place or situation) The state of being calm; absence of noise and disturbance.
  3. A period of time without wind.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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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

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ John C. Wells (1982) Accents of English, volume 1, Cambridge University Press, § 3.1.9, page 206

Anagrams

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Catalan

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Etymology

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

Adjective

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

  1. calm
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Middle English

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Noun

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calm

  1. Alternative form of calme

Adjective

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calm

  1. Alternative form of calme

Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French calme.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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calm n (plural calmuri)

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