Phrasal verb
calm down
Meanings
to become less upset, angry, nervous, or excited
to make someone less upset or excited
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to become quieter or less busy (of a place or situation)
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Definition
To calm down means to become less upset, angry, or excited.
To calm down is to stop feeling so angry, nervous, or excited and return to a more relaxed state. It can describe a person’s emotions, a situation becoming less tense, or activity becoming quieter. People often use it as an instruction or suggestion when someone is overreacting or stressed.
Examples
- I needed a few minutes to calm down after the argument.
- Please calm down and tell me what happened.
- He calmed down once he realized the noise was just the wind.
- She tried to calm down before walking into the interview.
- After the final bell, the hallway calmed down quickly.
Common mistake
Learners often say "calm me" or "calm" without "down" when they mean the phrasal verb, but natural English is "calm down" or "calm someone down."
More intransitive phrasal verbs
- wake up To stop sleeping and become awake.
- slow down To slow down means to reduce speed or activity and move or happen less quickly.
- blow up To blow up means to suddenly explode or to become suddenly very angry.
- slow up To slow up means to become slower or to make someone or something go more slowly.
- burn down To burn down means to be completely destroyed by fire.