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Glite Dictionary
to keep a cool head

to keep a cool head

3 3.9
Stay calm and not get angry or excited in a difficult situation
  • idiom
translation icon : mantener la calma
  • Keep a cool head, man.
  • try to keep a cool head

Examples

  • And while he’s the one guy who got credit for keeping a cool head during the Malice at the Palace, he’s never been able to shake the stigma of the Jail Blazers days.

    Blog text (16)

  • But you do have to keep a cool head.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Tip of the hat to you for keeping a cool head.

    Blog text (26)

  • The only way of enduring it is by keeping a cool head.

    The Others (2001)

  • Do you think he can be trusted to keep a cool head?

    Fiction book (1992)

  • That's what it's all about, keeping a cool head.

    Rogue Trader (1999)

  • Way to keep a cool head, Abe.

    Blog text (32)

  • Keep a cool head and try to avoid throwing or otherwise destroying your controller in fits of video game-induced rage.

    Blog text (24)

  • In my line of work, I deal with what I like to call medium-sized disasters pretty frequently; they're kind of my specialty, and I'm known as someone who can keep a cool head when there's chaos in the midst.

    Blog text (3)

  • It's always best to keep a cool head when violence is involved.

Synonyms

to stay in control
vsto keep a cool head
  • US
264 3.7

Keep power over a situation and stay calm

is about avoiding anger or excitement rather than maintaining authority over events
to hold it together
vsto keep a cool head
  • Informal
61 5.6

Stay calm and control your feelings in a difficult situation

is about avoiding anger or excitement rather than preventing loss of control
to keep one's cool
vsto keep a cool head
  • Informal
30 3.4

Stay calm and control your feelings when things are hard

is about avoiding anger or excitement rather than actively managing emotions
to keep it together
vsto keep a cool head
  • Informal
27 5.4

To stay calm and control your feelings in a difficult situation

is about not becoming angry or excited rather than actively managing emotions
to play it cool
vsto keep a cool head
  • Informal
27 4.5

Act calm and relaxed to hide nervousness

is about avoiding anger or excitement rather than showing composed behaviour
to take in stride
vsto keep a cool head
  • Informal
5 5.0

Deal with a problem calmly without getting upset

describes staying calm in difficult situations rather than actively handling events
to keep one's temper
vsto keep a cool head
1 4.4

Stay calm and not get angry in a difficult situation

also covers avoiding excitement as well as anger whereas linked covers anger only
to hold one's nerve
vsto keep a cool head
  • Informal
5.5

To stay calm and in control during a difficult situation

is about avoiding anger or excitement rather than actively managing feelings
to keep one's head
vsto keep a cool head
4.6

Stay calm and think clearly in a difficult or dangerous situation

focuses on not becoming angry or excited rather than on clear thinking

Antonyms

to lose it
  • Informal
289 7.5

Suddenly stop controlling your feelings and become very angry or upset

to panic
272 2.3

To feel sudden fear and lose the ability to think or act calmly

How Calm

to keep one's cool
  • Informal
30 3.4
to keep a cool head
3 3.9
to keep it together
  • Informal
27 5.4

Surface Forms

keep a cool head infinitive
keeping a cool head present participle
keeps a cool head third person singular
kept a cool head past
kept a cool head past participle

Morphology

keep + a + cool + head

The phrase is compositionally built from 'keep' (retain), 'cool' (calm) and 'head' (metonymic for one's mind/composure); a learner who knows these words can readily infer 'keep a cool head' means 'remain calm' because the parts combine in an ordinary, predictable way. The 'head'→'composure' mapping is a very common metaphor across languages, so the construction is transparently interpretable by B1 learners.

Etymology

Keep a cool head paints a clear picture: imagine your head staying cool instead of hot while people around you are angry or panicking. So, to keep a cool head means 'to remain calm' and not get angry or too excited in a difficult situation.