calmest

Calmest is the superlative form of the English adjective calm. It describes the highest degree of calm in a person, place, thing, or situation. Like other one-syllable adjectives, it is formed by adding -est to the base form, yielding calmest. It can appear before a noun as in the calmest day, or after a linking verb as in the sea was calmest.

Usage of calmest spans weather, landscapes, and moods. Examples include the calmest lake at sunset or she remained the calmest under pressure. In narrative or journalistic writing, the word emphasizes serenity in contrast to surrounding activity or stress. Calmest can describe an environment as well as an individual's reaction, and it is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts.

Notes on style and related terms: Calmest conveys a high degree of tranquility but does not imply complete stillness; context shapes its nuance. For some contexts, more than or most can be used with different adjectives (for example, more calm, most calm), but calmer and calmest are the standard inflected forms for the base calm. Related terms include calm, calmer, serenity, tranquility, and placid.

See also: calm; calmer; serenity; tranquility; placid.