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Calm down meaning

Calm down means to stop feeling angry, upset or too excited. It can also mean to make someone feel less angry, upset or excited.

Check yourself: 3 questions

calm down

calm down · calmed · calming

B2No object+2 more meanings

Calm down and tell me exactly what happened.

Calm down meanings and examples

3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.

  1. 1stop feeling angry, upset or too excited
  2. 2make someone feel less angry, upset or excited
  3. 3become quieter, less busy or less violent
  1. 1

    Stop feeling angry, upset or too excited

    calm down

    B2No object

    • Calm down and tell me exactly what happened.
    • It took the kids an hour to calm down after the party.
    • I’ll call him back when he’s calmed down.
  2. 2

    Make someone feel less angry, upset or excited

    calm somebody down

    B2Separable

    • A warm bath usually calms the baby down.
    • She sang a song to calm herself down before the exam.
    • Nothing I said could calm him down.
  3. 3

    Become quieter, less busy or less violent

    calm down

    B2No object

    • Things at work should calm down after Christmas.
    • The wind didn’t calm down until the next morning.
    • Has the situation calmed down in the city?
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Is calm down separable?

Calm down is often used with no object: Calm down! When you make someone calm, the person goes in the middle: calm the dog down, calm her down.

Saying Calm down! to an angry person can make them angrier, because it sounds rude. Softer choices: Let’s take a breath, or It’s OK, take your time.

Verb tenses for calm down

PresentI calm down · she calms down
Pastcalmed down
Present perfecthave calmed down
-ing formcalming down

Common mistakes with calm down

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: Please calm down you.

    Right: Please calm down.

    When the person calms down by themself, there is no object.

  • Wrong: I tried to calm down her.

    Right: I tried to calm her down.

    A pronoun goes between calm and down.

  • Wrong: He needs to be calm down before he drives.

    Right: He needs to calm down before he drives.

    Calm down is a verb; do not add be.

Synonyms and opposites of calm down

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

Opposite

Calm down quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1The dog was barking at the storm, so I held it to ___ it ___.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3“Things will calm down at the shop after the sale.” What does the speaker mean?

Find your level

The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.

Test yourself on calm downTake the full test

Calm down FAQ

Questions people ask about calm down.

Is it rude to say calm down?

It can be. Calm down! often makes an upset person angrier. With friends, Hey, it’s OK, or Take a deep breath sounds kinder.

What is the difference between calm down and chill out?

Both mean relax. Chill out is more informal and is also used for relaxing in free time: We chilled out at home.

How do you say calm down politely?

Try Let’s take a moment, or There’s no rush. In writing, you could say Please don’t worry, we will sort it out.

Use calm down in real conversations

In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.

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