calmly
Americanadverb
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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
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.
Calmly maintain the status quo, as Michelle does, and be treated as rational, even if continuing to do things the way they’ve been done is a disaster.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025
Calmly, quietly, CNQ kept hiking dividends — which have compounded at 21% annually for 25 consecutive years.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025
Calmly, she closed up the wireless set, pretending it was a case she was packing.
From BBC • Oct. 13, 2023
Calmly, the boxer vowed in Spanish that he was coming to battle.
From Washington Times • Dec. 6, 2022
Calmly turning her back, Frightful took a bearing on the sun’s position and beat her strong wings.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
