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, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Alternative forms
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 (“quite, still, gentle”) from Old English smylte (“quiet, tranquil, calm, serene”).
Pronunciation
- (England, Wales) IPA(key): /kɑːm/,
- (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /kaːm/,
- (US) IPA(key): /kɑm/, /kɑlm/, /kɔlm/, (archaic) /kæm/
- (Canada) IPA(key): , ,
- (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)
- (of a person) Peaceful, quiet, especially free from anger and anxiety.
- Antonyms: stressed, nervous, anxious
- (of a place or situation) Free of noise and disturbance.
- Antonym: disturbed
- (of water) with few or no waves on the surface; not rippled.
- Without wind or storm.
- Antonyms: windy, stormy
Synonyms
Derived terms
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)
- Korean: 고요하다 (ko) (goyohada), 잠잠하다 (ko) (jamjamhada)
- Latgalian: romons, mīrons
- Latin: tranquillus, sēdātus, placidus
- Latvian: rāms (lv)
- Lithuanian: ramus (lt)
- Macedonian: ми́рен (míren)
- Malay: tenang (ms)
- Maori: 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)
- Spanish: calmado (es)
- Swedish: lugn (sv), rofylld (sv)
- Tajik: ором (tg) (orom)
- Tok Pisin: belisi
- Turkish: sakin (tr), durgun (tr), dingin (tr)
- Ukrainian: спокі́йний (spokíjnyj)
- Venetian: cet (vec)
- Yiddish: רויִק (ruik)
- Zazaki: vınderde, sakin
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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)
- Hungarian: csendes (hu)
- 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)
- 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 (qalim)
- Turkish: sakin (tr), durgun (tr), dingin (tr)
- Ukrainian: спокі́йний (spokíjnyj), за́ти́шни́й (zátýšnýj)
- Yiddish: רויִק (ruik)
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(of water) with few or no waves on the surface
Translations to be checked
Noun
calm (countable and uncountable, plural calms)
- (in a person) The state of being calm; peacefulness; absence of worry, anger, fear or other strong negative emotion.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, , →OCLC, Canto XI: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.
- (in a place or situation) The state of being calm; absence of noise and disturbance.
- A period of time without wind.
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
Derived terms
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 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)
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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 (qalim)
- Turkish: sükûnet (tr), dinginlik (tr)
- Ukrainian: спо́кій m (spókij)
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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
- 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)
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Verb
calm (third-person singular simple present calms, present participle calming, simple past and past participle calmed)
- (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
- (intransitive) To become calm.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
to make calm
- 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)
- Kabuverdianu: branda, brandá, kalma, kalmá, sosega, sosegá
- Latin: sēdō
- 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 (qalim)
- Turkish: sakinleştirmek (tr), dindirmek (tr) (wind, tears etc), yatıştırmak (tr)
- Ukrainian: заспоко́ювати impf (zaspokójuvaty), заспоко́їти pf (zaspokójity)
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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)
- 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)
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References
Anagrams
Catalan
Etymology
From calma, probably in imitation of French calme (adjective) and Spanish calmo.
Adjective
calm (feminine calma, masculine plural calms, feminine plural calmes)
- calm
Related terms
Middle English
Noun
calm
- Alternative form of calme
Adjective
calm
- Alternative form of calme
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French calme.
Pronunciation
Noun
calm n (plural calmuri)
- composure (calmness of mind or matter, self-possession)
Related terms