composed
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
See calm.
Other Word 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.
Rent was written and composed by Jonathan Larson, who tragically died the day before its premiere in 1996.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
"If we do not reach an agreement, my colleagues and I are ready to strike," Martinez added, speaking on behalf of a workforce composed largely of food and beverage concession staff.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Caedmon then miraculously composed the hymn, producing a carefully crafted poem praising God for creating the world.
From Science Daily • May 17, 2026
It was composed in the summer of 1863 to commemorate the construction of a private chapel on a Paris estate.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
The soldiers’ job was to reinstate the country’s democratically elected government, in the process stripping power from the junta—a government composed of military leaders—whose corrupt and cruel reign had gone on for three years.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
