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equable

equable

1 7.3
A calm person who does not get angry or upset easily
  • adjective
  • /ˈɛkwəbl/
translation icon : imperturbable
  • Despite the chaos around her, she maintained an equable demeanor throughout the meeting.

Examples

  • And there was little Max riding along in his grocery cart baby seat, so mild and equable, staring at us.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The right way to eat is the same as the right way to live: be "just, cheerful, equable, temperate, and orderly."

    Blog text (13)
  • I am in an equable mood.

  • My mood, which had been equable all evening despite our situation, took a downward turn.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • A less equable man than I might find your questions impertinent.

  • In other words, these gases could have created a super greenhouse effect that kept the Earth's temperatures equable while the sun was still relatively faint.

    Academic text (1991)
  • So they're all calm, equable, serene kinds of emotions.

  • Her equable soul, as Conrad describes it, had been knocked off kilter.

  • Even the normally equable Tardini wrote with irony, "And the facade?

    Academic text (2006)
  • Equable people can handle stressful situations without losing their temper.

Synonyms

calm
vsequable
735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

is emotionally steady and not easily annoyed or angered in many contexts
peaceful
vsequable
428 1.0

Calm and quiet, without noise or trouble

is temperamentally steady and not easily angered rather than focused on surroundings
gentle
vsequable
235 1.0

Kind and not strong in action, sound, or touch

is temperamentally steady and not easily angered rather than only kindly behaved
amiable
vsequable
21 3.4

Friendly and pleasant in a way people like

is calm and not easily angered rather than primarily friendly or sociable
mild-mannered
vsequable
19 3.4

A person who is gentle, calm, and not aggressive

is steady in temperament and not easily angered rather than simply unassertive
placid
vsequable
15 5.0

Calm and not easily upset, like a quiet lake

is steady in mood and resists anger rather than merely quiet or still
level-headed
vsequable
14 4.0

Calm and sensible and good at making decisions in difficult situations

is steady in temperament and not easily provoked rather than focused on judgment
unflappable
vsequable
9 7.4

Not getting upset or excited in difficult situations

is calm and not easily disturbed in general rather than only under pressure
peaceable
vsequable
7 4.1

Calm and not wanting to fight or argue

is steady in mood and not easily angered rather than just avoiding conflict
untroubled
vsequable
4 3.5

Calm and not worried about problems

is steady in mood and not easily angered rather than only free of worry
good-humored
vsequable
  • US
4 3.2

Cheerful and friendly to other people

is calmer and less about cheerfulness, focusing on steady temperament instead
even-tempered
vsequable
3 3.7

Calm and not easily annoyed or angry

is calmer overall and resists disturbance beyond just mildness
imperturbable
vsequable
2 8.1

Not easily upset or worried, even in difficult situations

is calmly steady and not easily angered rather than entirely unshakeable
equanimous
vsequable
  • Formal
1 9.5

Calm and steady in difficult situations

is calm and even in mood rather than only composed under stress
unhysterical
vsequable
1 6.8

Calm and not showing strong or out of control feelings in a stressful situation

is temperamentally steady and not easily angry rather than merely avoiding hysteria
unimpassioned
vsequable
1 7.4

Calm and not showing strong feelings

is steady in feeling and not easily angered rather than emotionally detached
good-tempered
vsequable
1 3.5

Being calm and friendly, not easily annoyed

is calm and steady in mood rather than focusing on cheerfulness
ice-calm
vsequable
  • Informal
7.9

Being very calm and not showing fear in a stressful situation

is steady and not easily angered rather than showing only extreme calmness
self-collected
vsequable
6.1

Calm and in control of your feelings in difficult situations

is emotionally steady and not easily provoked rather than only showing control
nerveless
vsequable
  • Archaic
7.2

Calm and steady in a difficult or dangerous situation

is temperamentally steady and not easily angered rather than focusing on action control
uncontentious
vsequable
6.5

Calm and unlikely to cause arguments

is temperamentally steady and not easily angered rather than mainly avoiding arguments
noncontentious
vsequable
6.7

Not likely to argue or cause disagreement

is calm and not easily provoked rather than only avoiding disputes

Antonyms

32 3.7

Quick to become annoyed or angry

14 4.1

Quick to become excited or nervous

How Calm

serene
38 3.9
equable
1 7.3
calm
735 1.0

Surface Forms

equable positive

Morphology

equable = equal (semi-transparent) = equ + able

Related to 'equal' / 'even' in form and sense, but the specific emotional meaning 'calm, even-tempered' is a somewhat specialized shift and the form 'equ-' may not be obvious to learners.

Etymology

The word equable comes from the Latin root aequus, which means 'even' or 'level' and is the same idea behind equal. Think of a person who is like a level surface that does not rise or fall; an equable person stays calm and does not have big emotional ups and downs.