calmly
Americanadverb
-
without excitement, agitation, or passion.
He kept his cool throughout, calmly challenging his opponents on alleged facts he believed were wrong.
-
(of wind, waves, etc.) with relatively little force or movement; gently.
The wind blew calmly as the three of us lay on the beach, lazily passing the time.
Other Word Forms
- quasi-calmly adverb
- uncalmly adverb
Etymology
Origin of calmly
Explanation
When you do something calmly, you're cool and peaceful about it. Screaming hysterically for your mischievous dog to come back won't work, but if you calmly call his name, he'll probably come running. Doing things calmly means they happen easily, without any disturbance or strong emotion. That can include breathing calmly to reduce stress, speaking calmly to someone who's upset, or watching the gentle breeze blow calmly across the surface of a lake. The adverb calmly comes from the Old Italian calma, which means both "quiet" and "fair weather," and its Late Latin root cauma, "heat of the midday sun."
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.
“It’s my dream now to surrender fully to sleep, to be relaxed and sleep calmly at night,” Abdul-Aal said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
But demand has fallen hard for his niche talent of calmly engaging with gangsters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
His now manager Alvaro Arbeloa spoke about how Madrid were going to be "proceeding cautiously and calmly" with Alexander-Arnold after his injury issues.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
Chacho's clients got up and headed calmly towards the nearest shelter -- a school basement next door complete with a table football, giant chess set and collection of Harry Potter books.
From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026
She says it so calmly and quietly, without even moving or opening her eyes, that for a second I think I imagined it.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
