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😌 To become calm 🤝 To resolve 👌 To accept less 🏡 To make a home 💵 To pay ⬇️ To sink down 😠 To take revenge 🧹 To arrange 🪑 A wooden bench
to settle

to settle

729 2.8
To become calm and still after movement or excitement
  • verb
  • /ˈsɛtəl/
: calmarse
  • As the storm passed, the winds started to calm and the leaves began to settle on the ground.
  • settle down to watch
  • eventually settle
  • things settled

So tonight, I invite you to settle back, enjoy the program.

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Examples

  • After a long day at work, I like to take a moment to settle and relax in my favorite chair.

  • Put your hands on your heart and settle your body down.

  • Then a big deep breath will settle the voice right down.

    The Diary Of A CEO

  • And then the conversation settled, just got quiet.

  • " No, Papa, not really; now just settle down and let me explain."

    Academic text (1992)

  • When you stop pushing them, they tend to settle right back where they started.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Why don't you settle down and get married, Walter?

    Double Indemnity (1944)

  • The time has come for Mila and Zesay to settle down.

    Milarepa (2025)

  • Settle down and focus.

    Armageddon (1998)

  • After giving up the lead in the first inning, Hakuryu's starting pitcher Ono has settled down and is holding the Seido batters at bay.

    Bite School 2 (2025)

Synonyms

to relax
vsto settle
∞ 1.0

To feel less nervous and more calm

adds a stronger sense of coming to rest or stable condition
to calm
vsto settle
∞ 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

adds the idea of settling into a stable or resting state
to calm down
vsto settle
  • Informal
989 1.4

To become less angry, excited, or upset

is broader, also meaning physical rest or long term stability
to quiet
vsto settle
257 3.2

To make someone or something calm and less noisy

also covers becoming stable or coming to rest after uncertainty
to settle down
vsto settle
166 2.5

To become quiet and calm after being excited

focuses on coming to rest or stability after movement or uncertainty
to settle in
vsto settle
165 3.3

To start to feel comfortable and at home in a new place or job

is about coming to rest generally, not only adjusting to new situations
to chill out
vsto settle
  • Informal
138 4.9

To relax and become calm after you feel upset

is more about reaching a stable state or coming to rest
to loosen up
vsto settle
  • Informal
86 3.4

To relax and become less nervous or tense

focuses more on stopping movement or uncertainty and becoming stable
to find peace
vsto settle
72 4.3

Become calm and quiet inside after trouble

is more practical, meaning to come to rest or stable condition
to settle into
vsto settle
63 3.3

Become comfortable in a new place, job, or routine

can also mean physically coming to rest or becoming stable after change
to wind down
vsto settle
  • Informal
59 3.7

To relax after a busy or stressful time and slowly come to an end

leans more toward coming to a steady rest or final stability
to cool it
vsto settle
  • Informal
55 6.2

To calm down and stop being angry or excited

is the general process of coming to rest or achieving stability
to stabilize
vsto settle
  • US
44 4.3

To become steady and stop changing

overlaps by stability but also includes calming and resting after uncertainty
to make yourself comfortable
vsto settle
25 3.1

Sit down and relax as if you are at home

focuses more on reaching a stable resting state after movement or change
to rest easy
vsto settle
  • Informal
23 4.2

Feel calm and not worried after someone reassures you

is broader, also meaning to come to physical rest or stability
to mellow out
vsto settle
  • Informal
22 6.3

Become more relaxed and easygoing

adds the image of settling into a steady, resting condition
to still
vsto settle
18 4.2

To make quiet or calm

includes this calm but also means coming to rest or stable state
to breathe easy
vsto settle
  • Informal
18 3.4

To feel relaxed and relieved after a worrying time

emphasizes coming to rest or stable calm rather than relief only
to simmer down
vsto settle
  • Informal
14 4.1

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

also covers settling after movement or uncertainty, not only anger
to decompress
vsto settle
  • Informal
12 4.2

Relax and become less tense after work or stress

includes this relaxation but stresses coming to a stable rest
to alight
vsto settle
4 6.6

To come down and land after flying, like a bird on a branch

shares the physical coming-to-rest sense but not the emotional calming aspect
to chillax
vsto settle
  • Slang
4 8.6

Calm down and relax after feeling stressed or excited

is the general idea of coming to rest or achieving stability

Antonyms

to unsettle
20 4.9

To make someone feel worried or uneasy

to agitate
14 4.8

To make people feel strongly excited or upset

Idioms

to settle a score
  • Offensive
4 6.2

To get revenge for something someone did to you

to settle someone's hash
  • Slang
1 9.3

To punish or defeat someone to stop their harmful actions

stay hungry and never settle
8.8

To keep wanting more and trying to improve without accepting being average

Phrasal Verbs

to settle for
193 3.6

Accept less than you wanted or hoped for

to settle down
166 2.5

To become quiet and calm after being excited

to settle in
165 3.3

To start to feel comfortable and at home in a new place or job

to settle down
147 3.0

To start living a quiet, steady life by having a regular job or a family

to settle on
74 3.1

To fix your eyes or attention on one thing

to settle into
63 3.3

Become comfortable in a new place, job, or routine

to settle with
35 4.1

To reach an agreement with someone to end a dispute

to settle for less
19 4.5

To accept something worse than what you want or deserve

to settle down
  • Specialized
5 3.1

To come to rest on a surface, like dust or snow

to settle upon
1 3.9

To pick one thing after thinking about the choices

to settle a disagreement
1 3.1

Make people or groups agree after an argument

to grow up and settle down
1 3.4

Become an adult and start a steady life with a job or family

How Calm

to subside
52 4.8
to settle
729 2.8
to quieten
3 4.6
to calm down
  • Informal
989 1.4
to fidget
32 3.4
to agitate
14 4.8

Surface Forms

settle infinitive
settled past
settled past participle
settling present participle
settles third person singular

Etymology

The verb settle meaning to become calm comes from the old idea of set meaning 'to put' or 'to make sit', like when someone sits down and becomes still. So, to settle is to come to rest or become calm.