placid

[plas-id]

See more synonyms for placid on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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

Origin of placid

1620–30; < Latin placidus calm, quiet, akin to placēre to please (orig., to calm); see -id⁴

Related formspla·cid·i·ty

[pluh-sid-i-tee] /pləˈsɪd ɪ ti/, plac·id·ness, nounplac·id·ly, adverbun·plac·id, adjectiveun·plac·id·ly, adverbun·plac·id·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for placid on Thesaurus.com

See peaceful.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for placid

Contemporary Examples

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
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
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
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
Plus, Michael Daly on Chicago's carnage and Jim Warren on the placid protest.
NATO Summit’s Big Loser: Behind Obama’s Snub of Pakistan
Bruce Riedel
May 22, 2012

Historical Examples

By degrees the placid influence of her friend calmed her perturbed spirit.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
It had the pure and placid expression of the human soul, when it dwells in love and peace.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
They were a phlegmatic race, placid, unimaginative, reposeful.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
“A fair-haired fellow,” the last observed in a placid tone, and paused.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
Dilly took her placid companion by the arm, and hurried her on.
Meadow Grass
Alice Brown

British Dictionary definitions for placid

placid

adjective

having a calm appearance or nature

Derived Formsplacidity (pləˈsɪdɪtɪ) or placidness, nounplacidly, adverb

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for placid

adj.

1620s, from French placide (15c.) and directly from Latin placidus "pleasing, peaceful, quiet, gentle, still, calm," from placere "to please" (see please). Related: Placidly; placidness.

placid

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}placid

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for placid

Contemporary Examples

They would speak up, but in tones still soft and placid; and Spahn often overheard them describing him as a “beautiful person.”

Underneath the most placid waters, there are vicious currents and tides, and underwater volcanoes that are constantly erupting.

His face immediately shifted out of the placid, guarded, friendliness of the Scheduled Speaker into ambroad, welcoming smile.

And I long for the placid days when all I worried about were jackhammers, Halal carts and clueless tourists on rental bikes.

Plus, Michael Daly on Chicago's carnage and Jim Warren on the placid protest.

Historical Examples

By degrees the placid influence of her friend calmed her perturbed spirit.

It had the pure and placid expression of the human soul, when it dwells in love and peace.

They were a phlegmatic race, placid, unimaginative, reposeful.

“A fair-haired fellow,” the last observed in a placid tone, and paused.

Dilly took her placid companion by the arm, and hurried her on.

placid

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for placid

adj.

Origin of placid