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placid

[ plas-id ]
/ ˈplÌs 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Š 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.

 

 

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

British Dictionary definitions for placid

placid
/ (ˈplÌsɪd) /

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 Š William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Š HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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