1
a
: a period or condition of freedom from storms, high winds, or rough activity of water
a sailing ship motionless in the calm
b
: complete absence of wind or presence of wind having a speed no greater than one mile (1.6 kilometers) per hour see Beaufort Scale Table
2
: a state of tranquility
At dusk a quiet calm settled over the town.
calmed; calming; calms
: to become calm
—usually used with down
The mayor asked the protesters to calm down so he could speak.
: to make calm
—often used with down
calm him down; get him to be reasonable—
S. H. Adams
S. H. Adams1
: marked by calm : still
a calm sea
2
: free from agitation, excitement, or disturbance
calmly
adverb
calmness
noun
Examples of calm in a Sentence
Noun
After two days of violent protests, the mayor appealed for calm.
The calm was broken by another terrorist bombing.
the calm of a church
Police tried to restore calm after the riot.
A quiet calm settled over the city.
Verb
His words were effective in calming her fears.
The medicine helped calm her breathing.
Adjective
The teacher asked us to remain calm after the fire alarm went off.
Let's try to have a calm discussion about your grades.
Recent Examples on the Web
Isa Cardona, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Then, after the final chorus, came a voice of calm.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
The Fern Grove collection will elevate your scentscape with a calming blend of fern, oakmoss, fig, watercress, cedar, vetiver, and sandalwood.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 29 Oct. 2025
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
How Zurzuvae works to help combat postpartum depression Zurzuvae enhances the effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that sends signals in the brain to calm nerve activity, Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, a toxicologist at MedStar Health, tells SELF.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calm
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
But beneath that calm, the river keeps moving and reshaping the sand, grain by grain.
—Isa Cardona, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Then, after the final chorus, came a voice of calm.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Trump and Xi may want to calm the waters in the short term.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
The Fern Grove collection will elevate your scentscape with a calming blend of fern, oakmoss, fig, watercress, cedar, vetiver, and sandalwood.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The video shows sunlight breaking through as the circular eye wall becomes visible, with clouds rotating rapidly around a calm center.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
How Zurzuvae works to help combat postpartum depression Zurzuvae enhances the effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that sends signals in the brain to calm nerve activity, Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, a toxicologist at MedStar Health, tells SELF.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calm
Cite this Entry
“Calm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calm. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
a
: a period or state of freedom from storm, wind, or rough water
b
: complete lack of wind or the presence of wind of no more than one mile (1.6 kilometers) per hour
2
: a state of freedom from excitement or disturbance : peacefulness
calm
2 of 3 verb
: to make or become calm
calm
3 of 3 adjective1
: marked by calm : still
a calm sea
2
: free from excitement or disturbance
a calm manner
calmly
adverb
calmness
noun
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