serene
Americanadjective
-
calm, peaceful, or tranquil; unruffled.
a serene landscape;
serene old age.
- Synonyms:
- collected, composed, unperturbed, imperturbable, undisturbed
- Antonyms:
- disturbed
-
serene weather.
- Synonyms:
- unclouded
- Antonyms:
- clouded
-
Usually Serene most high or august (used as a royal epithet, usually preceded by his, your, etc.).
His Serene Highness.
noun
-
the serene of early morning at the lake.
-
Archaic. a clear or tranquil expanse of sea or sky.
adjective
-
peaceful or tranquil; calm
-
clear or bright
a serene sky
-
(often capital) honoured: used as part of certain royal titles
His Serene Highness
Related Words
See peaceful.
Other Word Forms
- overserene adjective
- overserenely adverb
- serenely adverb
- sereneness noun
- unserene adjective
- unserenely adverb
- unsereneness noun
Etymology
Origin of serene
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English, from Old French serein and Latin serēnus (of the sky, weather) “clear, unclouded”
Explanation
Choose the adjective serene to describe someone who is calm and untroubled. If you tell someone horrible news and they remain serene, you might wonder if they heard you! Related to the Latin word serenus "peaceful, calm, clear," serene was originally used in English, as in Latin, to describe calm weather. By the mid 1600s, however, it was used figuratively to describe a calm, untroubled person as well. Though people show their emotions pretty openly today, Victorian novels are full of characters who remain serene no matter how terrible the news.
Vocabulary lists containing serene
List 4
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Emotions on Display
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Mellow Out: Synonyms for "Calm"
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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.
This week, his progress has been uncharacteristically serene as he swung what had been a wide open tournament heavily into his favour.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
“Who can be serene in a country where both the rulers and the ruled are without principle?” he asked.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
Stocks, oil, and gold have endured wild swings in recent days but cryptocurrencies, of all assets, have remained fairly serene amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
The larger of the two homes, a serene retreat built in 1955, offers four bedrooms and five baths across 3,645 square feet.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 5, 2026
Something bright and serene danced in his eyes, like the strange flames on the sticks near the altar.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
