calm down

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"calm-down" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“calm down” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To become less excited, intense, or angry.

Key facts for calm down
PropertyValue
Headwordcalm down
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “calm down” sits in English frequency

calm down falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for calm down is 9 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for calm down in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is calm down, spelled C-A-L-M- -D-O-W-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To become less excited, intense, or angry.
  2. 2
    To cause to become less excited, intense, or angry.

Synonyms

be still my heartchillchill outchillaxpull in one's hornsrelaxunwindchill outrelaxhose downcool one's jetsslow one's roll

This word in other languages

calmarse(Español)se calmer(Français)beruhigen(Deutsch)acalmar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "calm down"?
"calm down" is spelled C-A-L-M- -D-O-W-N.
What does "calm down" mean?
As a verb, "calm down" means: To become less excited, intense, or angry.
What language does "calm down" come from?
"calm down" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “calm down”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-L-M- -D-O-W-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list