When we feel calm, it means we are peaceful and not worried or upset. People often use special phrases called idioms to describe this feeling. Idioms are expressions that have a meaning different from the words used. They help make talking and writing more interesting. Using idioms about calm can help us explain how someone feels when they are relaxed or quiet.
This article will explain what idioms for calm mean. You will learn 30 different idioms that show calmness in a simple way. Each idiom will have an example sentence to help you understand it better. At the end, there will be a fun activity where you can find some of these idioms in a story. This way, you can see how people use them in real life.
Idioms for Calm
1. Keep your cool
Meaning: Stay calm and not get angry or upset.
Samples: Even when the test was hard, she kept her cool. / He kept his cool during the loud argument.
To Put it Another Way: She stayed calm. / He did not lose his temper.
2. In the clear
Meaning: Safe and not in trouble.
Samples: After the teacher checked, I was in the clear. / The team was in the clear after the game ended.
To Put it Another Way: Everything was okay. / No problems now.
3. On an even keel
Meaning: Feeling steady and calm, not upset or excited.
Samples: After the storm, the boat was on an even keel. / She stayed on an even keel during the busy day.
To Put it Another Way: Feeling balanced. / Not upset or excited.
4. Keep a level head
Meaning: Think clearly and stay calm in tough situations.
Samples: During the emergency, he kept a level head. / She kept a level head even when everyone else was panicking.
To Put it Another Way: Stayed calm and thought clearly. / Did not panic.
5. As cool as a cucumber
Meaning: Very calm and relaxed.
Samples: She was as cool as a cucumber before the big speech. / He walked into the room as cool as a cucumber.
To Put it Another Way: Very calm. / Not worried at all.
6. Keep your composure
Meaning: Stay calm and controlled, especially in difficult times.
Samples: Even after the mistake, he kept his composure. / She kept her composure during the school play.
To Put it Another Way: Stayed calm and collected. / Did not lose control.
7. Take it easy
Meaning: Relax and do not stress.
Samples: After the test, we took it easy at home. / He told me to take it easy and not worry.
To Put it Another Way: Relax. / Don’t get stressed.
8. Keep calm and carry on
Meaning: Stay calm and continue doing what you need to do.
Samples: When the fire alarm went off, we kept calm and carried on. / She kept calm and carried on with her homework.
To Put it Another Way: Stay calm and keep going. / Don’t stop because of worry.
9. Take a deep breath
Meaning: Pause and breathe slowly to feel calm.
Samples: When she felt nervous, she took a deep breath. / Before speaking, he took a deep breath to calm down.
To Put it Another Way: Breathe slowly to relax. / Stop and calm yourself.
10. Keep things under control
Meaning: Manage a situation calmly.
Samples: The teacher kept things under control during the noisy class. / He kept things under control even when the game was hard.
To Put it Another Way: Managed the situation calmly. / Did not let things get wild.
11. Calm before the storm
Meaning: A quiet time before a busy or difficult event.
Samples: The classroom was silent, the calm before the storm. / It was calm before the storm of the big game.
To Put it Another Way: Quiet time before trouble. / Peace before something busy.
12. Easy does it
Meaning: Do something slowly and carefully.
Samples: When lifting the box, she said, “Easy does it.” / Easy does it when painting the picture.
To Put it Another Way: Take your time. / Do it carefully.
13. Smooth sailing
Meaning: Going well without problems.
Samples: After fixing the bike, it was smooth sailing on the ride. / The project was smooth sailing after the hard part.
To Put it Another Way: Going well. / No problems.
14. Let it roll off your back
Meaning: Don’t let small problems bother you.
Samples: When people say mean things, just let it roll off your back. / He learned to let it roll off his back.
To Put it Another Way: Don’t worry about little problems. / Ignore small troubles.
15. Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait and don’t rush.
Samples: Hold your horses before starting the race. / She told me to hold my horses and think.
To Put it Another Way: Wait. / Don’t hurry.
16. Stay cool under pressure
Meaning: Be calm even when things are hard.
Samples: She stayed cool under pressure during the test. / He stayed cool under pressure in the game.
To Put it Another Way: Stayed calm when it was tough. / Did not panic.
17. Keep your nerve
Meaning: Stay brave and calm.
Samples: He kept his nerve and spoke in front of the class. / She kept her nerve even though she was scared.
To Put it Another Way: Stayed brave and calm. / Did not get scared.
18. Take it in stride
Meaning: Handle something difficult without getting upset.
Samples: When the team lost, they took it in stride. / She took the bad news in stride.
To Put it Another Way: Dealt with it calmly. / Didn’t get upset.
19. Keep your head
Meaning: Stay calm and think clearly.
Samples: In the emergency, she kept her head. / He kept his head and helped his friend.
To Put it Another Way: Stayed calm. / Thought clearly.
20. Play it cool
Meaning: Act calm and relaxed.
Samples: He played it cool when the teacher asked a question. / She played it cool even when she was nervous.
To Put it Another Way: Acted calm. / Didn’t show worry.
21. Chill out
Meaning: Relax and calm down.
Samples: After school, we chilled out by playing games. / He told me to chill out when I was upset.
To Put it Another Way: Relax. / Calm down.
22. Settle down
Meaning: Become calm and quiet.
Samples: The children settled down after the teacher spoke. / He settled down to read a book.
To Put it Another Way: Became calm. / Got quiet.
23. Take a breather
Meaning: Take a short break to relax.
Samples: After running, she took a breather. / He took a breather before doing his homework.
To Put it Another Way: Took a rest. / Paused to relax.
24. Keep your shirt on
Meaning: Don’t get angry or upset.
Samples: Keep your shirt on, the game isn’t over yet. / He told me to keep my shirt on during the argument.
To Put it Another Way: Stay calm. / Don’t get mad.
25. Stay composed
Meaning: Stay calm and controlled.
Samples: She stayed composed when she got a bad grade. / He stayed composed even when the noise was loud.
To Put it Another Way: Stayed calm. / Did not lose control.
26. Take it slow
Meaning: Do something calmly and without rushing.
Samples: Take it slow when crossing the street. / She took it slow while learning to swim.
To Put it Another Way: Go slowly. / Don’t hurry.
27. Keep cool under fire
Meaning: Stay calm during hard or stressful times.
Samples: The firefighter kept cool under fire during the rescue. / She kept cool under fire during the big test.
To Put it Another Way: Stayed calm during trouble. / Didn’t panic.
28. Keep your peace
Meaning: Stay calm and not upset.
Samples: He kept his peace even when people argued. / She kept her peace after losing the game.
To Put it Another Way: Stayed calm. / Did not get upset.
29. Let things slide
Meaning: Don’t worry about small problems.
Samples: He learned to let things slide and not get angry. / Sometimes you have to let things slide to stay calm.
To Put it Another Way: Ignore small troubles. / Don’t get upset over little things.
30. Keep your cool head
Meaning: Stay calm and think clearly.
Samples: She kept her cool head during the competition. / He kept his cool head when his bike broke.
To Put it Another Way: Stayed calm. / Thought carefully.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Calm
Last week, our class had a big science test. Mia was nervous, but she kept her cool and didn’t panic. When the teacher handed out the test, the room was quiet the calm before the storm. Mia took a deep breath to help herself relax.
During the test, some students started to worry, but Mia reminded herself to keep a level head and think clearly. After finishing her test, she told her friend to take it easy and not stress about the results.
At recess, we talked about how we all tried to stay cool under pressure. Mia said she learned to play it cool even when things felt tough. When the fire alarm went off suddenly, our teacher told us to keep calm and carry on and finish what we were doing.
By the end of the day, Mia was proud that she could keep her composure through everything.
Your Task:
Read the passage again. Underline or list the 8 idioms for calm you find in the story.
Answer Key
- Keep her cool
- Calm before the storm
- Take a deep breath
- Keep a level head
- Take it easy
- Stay cool under pressure
- Play it cool
- Keep calm and carry on
- Keep her composure
Conclusion
Idioms about calm help us talk about feeling peaceful and relaxed in different situations. Using these special phrases makes it easier to describe how people stay steady and do not get upset. When you know idioms like “keep your cool” or “take a deep breath,” you can explain calm moments in a clear and simple way.
Learning these idioms can help you understand conversations better and make your own speaking and writing more interesting. Remember, staying calm is important, and these idioms give us useful words to show that feeling.
