composed
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See calm.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of composed
Explanation
The adjective composed describes someone who is calm and shows no nervousness or agitation. You may be very upset about your brother’s unkind remark, but your composed face doesn’t give away your feelings. If you’re composed, that means you're free of emotion or nervousness — or at least you look that way. Composed typically describes an outward appearance, so you could be angry on the inside but still maintain a composed manner that hides what you’re really feeling. You’ll often hear the word used to describe someone who can keep everything under control during times of stress. You probably look composed even when you’re stressing out over your calculus exam.
Vocabulary lists containing composed
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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Mellow Out: Synonyms for "Calm"
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Dragon Hoops
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Composed 3,000 years ago, “The Odyssey” shows its age and let us thank the gods for that.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
Composed and scored by RZA, “A Ballet Through Mud” is billed as a dynamic coming-of-age story that delves into the complexities of life, friendship and personal growth.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2024
Composed for a project funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, each of Blackwood’s “Etudes” shows off the qualities of different, often alien microtonal octaves.
From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2024
Composed of actin filaments and motor proteins, it generally acts as a driver for shape changes in cells.
From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2024
Composed in 1782, the sonata evokes the moon over calm, peaceful waters after the passing of a storm.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
