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 as Day’s star rose in real time, the song was a receptacle for all of her conflicting feelings about her newfound attention.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Composed jobless claims numbers suggest that despite lower job gains, companies are still retaining staff at stable levels.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
Composed as she was, there were lingering terrors.
From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025
Composed primarily of diazotypes, an inexpensive kind of photocopy typically used for architectural and technical drawings, the large piece was exhibited in 1980 at the now-defunct Alternative Museum in downtown New York.
From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2024
Composed and quiet, the house lifted itself primly around her, and nothing had been moved.
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
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.
