placid
adjective
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What is the Difference Between placid, calm, tranquil, and serene?
Like placid, the words calm, tranquil, and serene all mean "quiet and free from disturbance." Calm conveys a quiet composure that contrasts with surrounding chaos, while tranquil suggests a very deep quietude and peace. Serene is loftier still, carrying a sense of utter peace and happiness. Though placid traces back to Latin placēre, meaning "to please," it isn't always as positive a term as its synonyms. It can imply a lack of agitation rather than a true peace, and it sometimes suggests excessive self-satisfaction or even stupidity.
Synonyms
- calm
- collected
- composed
- cool
- coolheaded
- equal
- level
- limpid
- peaceful
- possessed
- recollected
- sedate
- self-composed
- self-possessed
- serene
- smooth
- together
- tranquil
- undisturbed
- unperturbed
- unruffled
- unshaken
- untroubled
- unworried
Example Sentences
Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2022 Some investors who specialize in the normally placid agency market are raising new funds to buy up bonds on the cheap. Matt Wirz, WSJ, 31 May 2022 The Potomac River is a broad, usually placid estuary whose disposition abruptly turns feral just beyond Georgetown. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022 Korean competition prize winner this Spring, carried by Kim Geumsoon’s central performance, a portrait of the devastating effect of workplace cyber-shaming on the placid life of a middle-aged mother who’s a food-processing factory worker. John Hopewell, Variety, 28 July 2022 The ruin appears to burst from the gallery floor like the cathedral of Ys, rising high toward the lofty ceiling, and disrupting the room’s placid, crystalline design. Steven Litt, cleveland, 24 July 2022 As for the collective remnants of the once hellhound Geto Boys, Wille and ‘Face currently co-host the remarkably placid podcast Geto Boys Reloaded. Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 28 June 2022 The artwork can be telling; older Ukrainian students’ depictions of a seemingly placid forested landscape were mainly executed in dark, brooding tones. Laura Kingstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2022 Alessandro Allori shows her placid and blank, seemingly bored by her kidnapping. New York Times, 29 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Latin placidus, from placēre to please — more at please
1626, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
placid
adjective
placid
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- serene
- calm
- peaceful
- tranquil
- composed
- unruffled
- sedate
- smooth
- collected
- unperturbed
- untroubled
- limpid
- undisturbed
- unworried
- steady
- unshaken
- possessed
- mellow
- confident
- level
- recollected
- together
- coolheaded
- relaxed
- at peace
- cool
- self-possessed
- nonchalant
- imperturbable
- centered
- equal
- relieved
- self-composed
- equable
- unflappable
- detached
- easygoing
- carefree
- aloof
- unshakable
- tranquilized
- affable
- phlegmatic
- nerveless
- unconcerned
- even-keeled
- dispassionate
- impassive
- stolid
- even
- breezy
- well-adjusted
- indifferent
- laid-back
- tranquillized
- disciplined
- well-balanced
- sober
- assured
- bovine
- happy-go-lucky
- self-controlled
- self-assured
- loosey-goosey
- devil-may-care
- self-contained
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- agitated
- disturbed
- perturbed
- upset
- anxious
- unsettled
- unquiet
- flustered
- uneasy
- restless
- unstrung
- discomposed
- distressed
- unhinged
- tense
- nervous
- unglued
- jittery
- jumpy
- skittish
- worried
- bothered
- unstable
- uptight
- high-strung
Synonyms & Similar Words
- tranquil
- serene
- quiet
- peaceful
- calm
- hushed
- untroubled
- still
- gentle
- halcyon
- sunny
- mild
- temperate
- equable
- stilly
- clear
- lown
- clement
- moderate
- balmy
- cloudless
- windless
- sunshiny
- rainless
- fair
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- turbulent
- restless
- stormy
- angry
- unsettled
- agitated
- tempestuous
- rough
- unquiet
- inclement
- windy
- blustery
- extreme
- severe
- intemperate
- squally
- blizzardy
- nasty
- foul
- blizzardly
Synonyms & Similar Words
- quiet
- peaceful
- serene
- calm
- tranquil
- restful
- hushed
- arcadian
- silent
- quieted
- still
- stilly
- motionless
- noiseless
- quiescent
- soundless
- soft
- gentle
- mute
- wordless
- muted
- dull
- speechless
- muffled
- dead
- low
- ultraquiet
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- boisterous
- loud
- tumultuous
- raucous
- noisy
- rowdy
- unquiet
- clamorous
- woolly
- uproarious
- deafening
- roistering
- romping
- wooly
- clattery
- wild
- tempestuous
- crazy
- rip-roaring
- thunderous
- booming
- thundering
- roaring
- earsplitting
- piercing
- blasting
- blaring
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of placid are calm, peaceful, serene, and tranquil. While all these words mean "quiet and free from disturbance," placid suggests an undisturbed appearance and often implies a degree of complacency.
The synonyms calm and placid are sometimes interchangeable, but calm often implies a contrast with a foregoing or nearby state of agitation or violence.
The meanings of peaceful and placid largely overlap; however, peaceful implies a state of repose in contrast with or following strife or turmoil.
While the synonyms serene and placid are close in meaning, serene stresses an unclouded and lofty tranquility.
While in some cases nearly identical to placid, tranquil suggests a very deep quietude or composure.