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Glite Dictionary
🔄 To rearrange 😌 To calm down
to recompose

to recompose

1 5.7
Make yourself calm again after being upset
  • verb
  • /ˌriːkəmˈpoʊz/
: recuperar la compostura
  • Nowadays, some digital cameras have a feature that causes overbright spots to blink on the LCD, which warns you immediately so that you can recompose to avoid the problem.

Examples

  • I recomposed myself, opened a gate for my mind to wander.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Then he takes a quick little gulp, recomposes himself, and calls up the fake little smile again.

    Blog text (30)

  • Ascolino recomposed himself with some difficulty.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Recompose, regroup, don't stay in that guilt.

    Blog text (27)

  • After the sudden news, she took a deep breath and recomposed herself before addressing the audience.

  • He needed a moment to recompose himself after the surprising announcement during the meeting.

  • Despite feeling overwhelmed, she managed to recompose herself and continue with the presentation.

Synonyms

to recover
vsto recompose
865 2.5

Get back to a normal state after a loss, for example health or money

is specifically about calming and self control after upset
to get a grip
vsto recompose
  • Informal
24 5.6

To calm down and control your feelings

is a calmer return to self control after being upset
to rebound
vsto recompose
23 4.3

To get back to normal after a problem

is more about emotional calming than general quick recovery
to simmer down
vsto recompose
  • Informal
14 4.1

To become calm after strong feelings or to tell someone else to calm down

is about regaining inner control, not only gradual calming
to regather
vsto recompose
1 4.6

To get your calm and thoughts back after you feel upset or shocked

is focused on restoring calm rather than just collecting thoughts
to pull oneself together
vsto recompose
  • Informal
5.1

Get control of your feelings and calm down after being upset

is less about quick force and more steady calming

Antonyms

to lose it
  • Informal
326 7.5

Suddenly stop controlling your feelings and become very angry or upset

How Calm

to settle down
166 2.5
to recompose
1 5.7
to calm down
  • Informal
989 1.4

Surface Forms

recompose infinitive
recomposed past
recomposed past participle
recomposing present participle
recomposes third person singular

Morphology

recompose = compose (semi-transparent) = re + compose

Although morphologically regular (re- + compose), the sense 'recompose oneself' meaning 'regain calm' is idiomatic and not fully predictable from the literal sense of 'compose'.

Etymology

Recompose can also mean to get calm again because re- is 'again' and compose is 'to put together', so people imagine 'putting themselves together again'. A helpful way to remember this is that to recompose yourself is to 'get calm and ready' after being upset.