to calm down
989
1.4
- phrasal verb
- /kɑm daʊn/
- Informal
- And for some people, part of being able to calm down means addressing their past.
- help someone calm down
- tell someone to calm down
- need to calm down
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Watch on YouTubeAnd he said, calm down, man, calm down.
- And he said, calm down, man, calm down.
- Why don't you just slow down, Calm down, cool down for a few days.
- Nichols had to like, calm me down and help me wink.
- I get a phone call saying calm down, come see us.
- So, you know, let's put let's calm down and put all this in place.
- And then that is what starts calming down your stress response in the moment.
- Anyway, you need to calm down, my friend.
- Oxytocin calms you down, it relaxes you.
Examples
-
When he feels overwhelmed, he takes a few deep breaths to calm down.
-
But she just asked us to be quiet nicely and told everyone to calm down.
Academic text (2014) -
So how do you calm someone down or wake them up?
-
Anyway, you need to calm down, my friend.
-
I need you to calm down, OK?
-
We were expected to talk to them and calm them down.
Academic text (2010) -
Students commented, "Yoga helps me calm down when I am upset or disheveled."
Academic text (2015) -
OK, dude, calm down.
-
Please calm down.
-
The Laughing Man gulps down the potion and starts to calm down a little.
Fiction book (1991)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To feel less nervous and more calm
∞
1.0
Make a person or animal less upset
893
1.4
To move or act more slowly
729
2.8
To become calm and still after movement or excitement
257
3.2
To make someone or something calm and less noisy
166
2.5
To become quiet and calm after being excited
138
4.9
To relax and become calm after you feel upset
105
2.7
To become calmer, less angry, or less hot
86
3.4
To relax and become less nervous or tense
75
3.4
To make someone feel calmer or reduce their pain
59
3.7
To relax after a busy or stressful time and slowly come to an end
59
3.7
To make something less strong or strict
58
2.5
Feel less angry or excited
55
6.2
To calm down and stop being angry or excited
54
2.0
Make people or things less noisy and less active
43
3.4
Become relaxed and less tense after work or a stressful time
28
5.2
To make someone feel calm and safe when they are not
23
4.2
Feel calm and not worried after someone reassures you
22
6.3
Become more relaxed and easygoing
19
4.0
To become gradually less strong or severe
18
4.2
To make quiet or calm
15
6.9
To make fear, anger, or worry less strong
14
4.1
To become calm after strong feelings or to tell someone else to calm down
14
5.2
To calm someone who is angry or upset
11
5.7
Reduce the strength of feelings or public anger
9
7.2
To make someone less angry or upset
4
8.6
Calm down and relax after feeling stressed or excited
3
4.6
Make someone or something less noisy and calmer
1
4.1
Make a tense situation calmer
1
3.4
Stay calm and control your feelings when things are hard
Antonyms
How Calm
865
2.5
166
2.5
- Informal
989
1.4
105
2.7
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to become or make someone less angry or upset' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'calm' (to soothe or reduce agitation) with 'down' (a degree-reducing/ lowering element). The particle-like function of 'down' to indicate reduction is common cross-linguistically in verb+particle constructions, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will generally be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Calm down shows calm (quiet or peaceful) moving down (lower), like a storm becoming quiet or a racing heart slowing. So it means 'become or make someone less angry, excited, or upset'.