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composed

composed

1 4.3
Calm and in control of your feelings during stress
  • adjective
  • /kəmˈpoʊzd/
translation icon : sereno
  • He felt composed during the presentation, even when faced with challenging questions from the audience.
  • very composed
  • calm and composed
  • quite composed

But he was just able to fully stay composed, whereas my brain fried the second.

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Examples

  • Despite the chaos around her, she remained composed and focused on the task at hand.

  • Michal, to his credit, is very composed and calm in the net.

    Blog text (30)
  • And yet, when we spoke, she seemed calm and composed.

    Blog text (31)
  • But he was just able to fully stay composed, whereas my brain fried the second.

  • Green Water had that manner about her, strong yet sensitive, thoughtful, and composed.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • They're so calm and composed in possession.

  • I thought Alexander was very composed on the screen, and I was glad that none of his family were there to embarrass him.

    Blog text (24)
  • We all can't be as composed as you are, Mrs. Rogo.

  • She's very composed, but I think she's losing it on the inside.

    Blog text (28)
  • How do you stay composed and not absorb the pressure that is being a jockey in the Kentucky Derby?

Synonyms

calm
vscomposed
735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

is specifically about keeping control of emotions in difficulty
relaxed
vscomposed
241 1.0

Calm and not worried

describes controlled calm under pressure rather than easy comfort
subdued
vscomposed
11 5.5

Quiet and controlled in voice or actions, not noisy

means active emotional control under stress rather than a softened tone
unemotional
vscomposed
11 4.4

Not showing strong feelings

involves staying controlled under pressure rather than lacking feeling
sedate
vscomposed
9 5.9

Calm and serious in a slow controlled way

is similar but stresses calm control in hard moments rather than dignity
untroubled
vscomposed
4 3.5

Calm and not worried about problems

is about controlled emotional handling in difficult situations rather than absent worry
poised
vscomposed
1 5.1

Calm and confident in a difficult situation

focuses on calm control but not on confident bearing
unflustered
vscomposed
1 6.1

Calm and not showing worry when things are difficult

emphasizes calm control as an active state under pressure
unimpassioned
vscomposed
1 7.4

Calm and not showing strong feelings

focuses more on holding control during stress than on reasonableness
collected
vscomposed
3.9

Calm and in control during a difficult situation

is the general word for calm control under stress
self-collected
vscomposed
6.1

Calm and in control of your feelings in difficult situations

describes the same steady control without stressing completeness
restrained
vscomposed
5.3

Calm and controlled, not strong or showy

is about staying emotionally steady in stress rather than general moderation

Antonyms

91 4.4

A person whose mood or behavior changes suddenly

49 4.1

Feeling nervous, upset, and not calm

Feeling upset and not calm inside

How Calm

serene
38 3.9
collected
3.9
composed
1 4.3
calm
735 1.0
uneasy
98 3.2
agitated
49 4.1

Surface Forms

composed positive

Morphology

composed = compose (semi-transparent) = compose + ed

Formed as the past participle of 'compose'; the adjectival meaning 'calm' derives from the reflexive use 'compose oneself' and may not be obvious to learners who only know 'compose' as 'create'.

Etymology

Composed comes from the parts com- 'together' and pose 'to put', the same idea behind position and compose. So a composed person has 'put themselves together' and stays calm and in control.