kɑːm daʊn
neutral
beginner
- Base verb:
- calm
- Particle:
- down
- Separable:
- Yes
What does "calm down" mean?
- To become less agitated or excited
- To make someone less upset
Examples
- Calm down and tell me what happened.
- It took hours for the crowd to calm down.
- She tried to calm down the crying child.
- Just calm down - it's not as bad as you think.
- The situation calmed down after police arrived.
How to use it
'Calm down!' as a command can sometimes make people more upset. Often better to say 'let's take a breath' or similar.
Word order
Object can go between: 'calm someone down' or 'calm down the situation'
Similar expressions
relax
settle down
soothe
pacify
Opposites
agitate
upset
excite
anger
Related phrasal verbs
- turn down
To reduce the volume, heat, or intensity of something
- bring down
To cause something to fall or collapse
- go down
To decrease in price, level, or amount
- come down
To decrease in price, level, or amount
- break down
To stop working or functioning (machines, vehicles)
- put down
To place something on a surface
Use it in a practice answer
Try "calm down" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.