Phrase guide

calm down

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To become less excited, intense, or angry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Calm down before you hurt somebody.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To cause to become less excited, intense, or angry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

become quiet or less intensive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the fighting lulled for a moment

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lull

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hush, quieten, silence, still, shut up, hush up

4

verb

Meaning 4

become quiet or calm, especially after a state of agitation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • After the fight both men need to cool off.
  • It took a while after the baby was born for things to settle down again.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: calm, cool off, chill out, simmer down, settle down, cool it

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change state, turn

5

verb

Meaning 5

make calm or still

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • quiet the dragons of worry and fear

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: calm, quiet, tranquilize, tranquillize, tranquillise, quieten, lull, still

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: comfort, soothe, console, solace

Narrower terms: lull, compose, pacify, lenify, conciliate, assuage, appease, mollify, placate, gentle, gruntle, reassure, assure

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

100 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَهْدَأَ (ʔahdaʔa) — To become less excited
  • Arabic: هَدَّأَ (haddaʔa) — To become less excited
  • Arabic: تهدن (thaddan) — To become less excited
  • Armenian: հանգստանալ (hangstanal) — To become less excited
  • Azerbaijani: sakitləşmək — To become less excited
  • Azerbaijani: rahatlaşmaq — To become less excited
  • Basque: lasaitu — To become less excited
  • Catalan: calmar-se — To become less excited
  • Catalan: tranquil·litzar-se — To become less excited
  • Catalan: asserenar-se — To become less excited
  • Chinese Mandarin: 冷靜下來 /冷静下来 (lěngjìng xiàlai) — To become less excited
  • Chinese Mandarin: 平靜下來 /平静下来 (píngjìng xiàlai) — To become less excited
  • Ngazidja Comorian: utrulia — To become less excited
  • Dutch: bedaren — To become less excited
  • Esperanto: trankviliĝi — To become less excited
  • Finnish: rauhoittua — To become less excited
  • Finnish: tyyntyä — To become less excited
  • French: se calmer — To become less excited
  • French: s'apaiser — To become less excited
  • Galician: calmar — To become less excited
  • Galician: acougar — To become less excited
  • Galician: sosegar — To become less excited
  • Galician: apoudigar — To become less excited
  • German: sich beruhigen — To become less excited
  • Hebrew: נרגע (nirgá) — To become less excited
  • Hungarian: megnyugszik — To become less excited
  • Hungarian: lecsillapodik — To become less excited
  • Ingrian: vaiketa — To become less excited
  • Ingrian: leppyä — To become less excited
  • Italian: calmarsi — To become less excited
  • Italian: tranquillizzarsi — To become less excited
  • Italian: tranquillarsi — To become less excited
  • Japanese: 落ち着く (ochitsuku) — To become less excited
  • Latin: mītēscō — To become less excited
  • Macedonian: се смирува (se smiruva) — To become less excited
  • Macedonian: се смири (se smiri) — To become less excited
  • Māori: whakamahuru — To become less excited
  • Polish: uspokajać się — To become less excited
  • Polish: uspokoić się — To become less excited
  • Portuguese: acalmar-se — To become less excited
  • Romanian: astâmpăra — To become less excited
  • Russian: успока́иваться (uspokáivatʹsja) — To become less excited
  • Russian: успоко́иться (uspokóitʹsja) — To become less excited
  • Russian: унима́ться (unimátʹsja) — To become less excited
  • Russian: уня́ться (unjátʹsja) — To become less excited
  • Spanish: calmarse — To become less excited
  • Spanish: tranquilizarse — To become less excited
  • Swedish: lugna ner sig — To become less excited
  • Swedish: chilla — To become less excited
  • Turkish: sakinleşmek — To become less excited
  • Ottoman Turkish: دولنمك (dölenmek) — To become less excited
  • Ottoman Turkish: ساكنلنمك (sakinlenmek) — To become less excited
  • Ukrainian: заспоко́юватися (zaspokójuvatysja) — To become less excited
  • Ukrainian: заспоко́їтися (zaspokójitysja) — To become less excited
  • Walloon: si rapåjhî — To become less excited
  • Walloon: si rapåjhter — To become less excited
  • Arabic: أَهْدَأَ (ʔahdaʔa) — To cause to become less excited
  • Arabic: هَدَّأَ (haddaʔa) — To cause to become less excited
  • Armenian: հանգստացնել (hangstacʻnel) — To cause to become less excited
  • Azerbaijani: sakitləşdirmək — To cause to become less excited
  • Azerbaijani: rahatlaşdırmaq — To cause to become less excited
  • Catalan: asserenar — To cause to become less excited
  • Catalan: calmar — To cause to become less excited
  • Catalan: tranquil·litzar — To cause to become less excited
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使平靜 /使平静 (shǐ píngjìng) — To cause to become less excited
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使冷靜 /使冷静 (shǐ lěngjìng) — To cause to become less excited
  • Danish: berolige — To cause to become less excited
  • Finnish: rauhoittaa — To cause to become less excited
  • Finnish: tyynnytellä — To cause to become less excited
  • French: calmer — To cause to become less excited
  • French: tranquilliser — To cause to become less excited
  • French: apaiser — To cause to become less excited
  • Galician: calmar — To cause to become less excited
  • German: beruhigen — To cause to become less excited
  • Hebrew: הִרְגִּיעַ (hirgía) — To cause to become less excited
  • Hungarian: megnyugtat — To cause to become less excited
  • Hungarian: lecsillapít — To cause to become less excited
  • Ingrian: vaikenoittaa — To cause to become less excited
  • Ingrian: lepyttää — To cause to become less excited
  • Italian: calmare — To cause to become less excited
  • Italian: tranquillizzare — To cause to become less excited
  • Japanese: 落ち着かせる (ochitsukaseru) — To cause to become less excited
  • Latin: mītēscō — To cause to become less excited
  • Māori: whakamahuru — To cause to become less excited
  • Polish: uspokajać — To cause to become less excited
  • Polish: uspokoić — To cause to become less excited
  • Portuguese: acalmar — To cause to become less excited
  • Russian: успока́ивать (uspokáivatʹ) — To cause to become less excited
  • Russian: успоко́ить (uspokóitʹ) — To cause to become less excited
  • Russian: умиротворя́ть (umirotvorjátʹ) — To cause to become less excited
  • Russian: умиротвори́ть (umirotvorítʹ) — To cause to become less excited
  • Spanish: calmar — To cause to become less excited
  • Spanish: tranquilizar — To cause to become less excited
  • Swedish: lugna ner — To cause to become less excited
  • Turkish: sakinleştirmek — To cause to become less excited
  • Ukrainian: заспоко́ювати (zaspokójuvaty) — To cause to become less excited
  • Ukrainian: заспоко́їти (zaspokójity) — To cause to become less excited
  • Walloon: rapåjhî — To cause to become less excited
  • Walloon: rapåjhter — To cause to become less excited
  • Walloon: rapwairi — To cause to become less excited