placid

[ plas-id ]

/ ˈplæs ɪd /

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See synonyms for: placid / placidity / placidly / placidness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil; serenely quiet or undisturbed: placid waters;a placid temperament.

showing lack of energy or concern: It is difficult to understand her relatively placid acceptance of the truth and its impact on her future.Emotions ebbed from anger into placid resignation with the passage of time.

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Origin of placid

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin placidus “calm, quiet,” akin to placēre “to seem good, please” (originally, “to calm”); see please, -id⁴

synonym study for placid

See peaceful.

OTHER WORDS FROM placid

pla·cid·i·ty

[pluh-sid-i-tee], /pləˈsɪd ɪ ti/, plac·id·ness

[plas-id-nis], /ˈplæs ɪd nɪs/, nounplac·id·ly, adverbun·plac·id, adjective

Words nearby placid

placer, Placerville, place setting, placet, place value, placid, placidity, placidly, Plácido's disk, Placidyl, placing

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT PLACID

What does placid mean?

Placid means calm, peaceful, quiet, and undisturbed. A close synonym is tranquil.

Placid is used to describe things that have a calm appearance or a calm nature, such as a placid pond whose surface is perfectly still.

When placid is used to describe people, it can mean that they’re very calm and even-tempered. However, placid can also mean showing a lack of energy or concern. Describing a person as placid in this way is often done to criticize them for not caring enough to take action in a situation that calls for action to be taken, as in You shouldn’t be so placid about injustice—you should do something about it instead of just ignoring it.

When placid is used to describe animals, like dogs or cats, it usually means they stay calm and don’t get aggressive, as in Hospital patients are calmed by the old dog’s placid nature.

The state of being placid is called placidity.

Example: I love the sight of the lake’s placid waters at sunrise.

Where does placid come from?

The first records of the word placid come from the 1620s. It comes from the Latin placidus, meaning “calm” or “quiet,” from the Latin verb placēre, “to please” (or, originally, “to calm”).

Placid scenes are often those that have a calming, soothing effect on the observer due to their calm and quiet nature. When placid is used to describe a person, it can mean “too calm.” Using the word this way implies that a person should be much less calm or unconcerned than they are.

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What are some other forms related to placid?

placidly (adverb)
placidity (noun)
placidness (noun)

What are some synonyms for placid?

What are some words that share a root or word element with placid?

What are some words that often get used in discussing placid?

How is placid used in real life?

Placid is often used to describe still waters. When it’s used to describe people, it can be positive or critical.

Picture perfect sunrise this morning of Longs Peak reflecting in the placid waters of Bear Lake. #RMNP pic.twitter.com/8HNFneuDcF

— Thomas Mangan (@TheRockyGallery) June 7, 2017

placid pond
reflects sunset’s orange burn
bat flutters, solo#haiku #sunset #farmlife #Colorado pic.twitter.com/86f5GOuAaR

— Susan J. Tweit (@susanjtweit) May 18, 2020

I haven't raised enough hell in my life, I should be less placid

— Bad Devil (@AVeryBadDevil) May 18, 2020

Try using placid!

Which of the following terms is NOT a synonym of placid?

A. peaceful
B. anxious
C. serene
D. easy-going

How to use placid in a sentence

He uses the relatively placid actions of some to minimize the obvious violence and vandalism committed by others.
How the right is trying to reshape the history of the Jan. 6 riot|Philip Bump|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
Built in 1960, the facility is now as well known for its placid, soaring architecture as for the boundary-pushing science that happens in its labs.
Scientists Report Creating the First Embryo With Human and Non-Human Primate Cells|Alice Park|April 15, 2021|Time
Despite the warning signs posted around the lake, some visitors have waded into the seemingly placid waters of Emerald Pool, only to get whisked away by the current.
Danger lurks in national parks, but not necessarily where you expect it|Miles Howard|February 25, 2021|Washington Post
The benchmark is hovering at nearly double the level it was a year ago—suggesting a new normal relative to the placid expectations of recent years, and compared with the exuberance in the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 that soared more than 45% last year.
While US stocks punch through record highs, the VIX index is signaling caution|John Detrixhe|January 4, 2021|Quartz

Calcium-carbonate tufa spires shoot up from the placid waters, resulting in an eerie display of the lake’s peculiar chemistry.
Your New Adventure Travel Bucket List|The Editors|December 21, 2020|Outside Online
They would speak up, but in tones still soft and placid; and Spahn often overheard them describing him as a “beautiful person.”
Gay Talese on Charlie Manson’s Home on the Range|Gay Talese|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ellie Black rouses quietly to consciousness at around 3, her eyes unfocused, mind placid.
Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death|Patricia Pearson|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Underneath the most placid waters, there are vicious currents and tides, and underwater volcanoes that are constantly erupting.
Welcome to the Anarchy Economy|Daniel Gross|April 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
His face immediately shifted out of the placid, guarded, friendliness of the Scheduled Speaker into ambroad, welcoming smile.
Anthony Lewis’s Cousin Remembers His Kindness to a Young Journalist|Sarah Wildman|March 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And I long for the placid days when all I worried about were jackhammers, Halal carts and clueless tourists on rental bikes.
Fleeing the Dangling ‘Boom of Doom’ Skyscraper Crane atop One57th|Michael Gross|November 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Mrs. Newbolt was looking away toward the hills, a dreamy cast in her placid face.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
The baby had thrived; as placid, laughing a little thing as if its mother had never known sorrow.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
Frulein Timm belongs to the single sisterhood, but is one of the fresh and placid kind, and as neat as wax.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
They mostly wore the placid expression of folks engaged in business affairs instead of the worried look of pleasure-seekers.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
The old lady glanced up from her work; her placid face wore a look of unusual serenity.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie

British Dictionary definitions for placid

placid

/ (ˈplæsɪd) /

adjective

having a calm appearance or nature

Derived forms of placid

placidity (pləˈsɪdɪtɪ) or placidness, nounplacidly, adverb

Word Origin for placid

C17: from Latin placidus peaceful; related to placēre to please

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

placid

Origin of placid

synonym study for placid

OTHER WORDS FROM placid

Words nearby placid

MORE ABOUT PLACID

What does placid mean?

Where does placid come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is placid used in real life?

Try using placid!

Words related to placid

How to use placid in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for placid

Derived forms of placid

Word Origin for placid