different between calm vs disinterested

English

Alternative forms

• calme (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English calm, calme, from Old French calme, probably from Old Italian calma, of uncertain origin. Calma may derive from Late Latin cauma (“heat of the midday sun”), from Ancient Greek ????? (kaûma, “heat, especially of the sun”), from ???? (kaí?, “I burn”), or possibly from Latin cale?. Compare also Proto-Germanic *kalmaz (“frozenness, cold”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /k??m/
• (US) IPA^(key): /k?m/, /k?lm/, /k?(?)m/
• (Ireland, Scotland) IPA^(key): /kam/
• Rhymes: -??m
• (nonstandard, now chiefly dialect) IPA^(key): /ka?m/

Adjective

calm (comparative calmer or more calm, superlative calmest or most calm)

1. (of a person) Peaceful, quiet, especially free from anger and anxiety.

   Antonyms: stressed, nervous, anxious

2. (of a place or situation) Free of noise and disturbance.

   Antonym: disturbed

3. (of water) with few or no waves on the surface; not rippled.
4. Without wind or storm.

   Antonyms: windy, stormy

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:calm

Derived terms

• calm as a millpond
• ice-calm

Translations

Noun

calm (countable and uncountable, plural calms)

1. (in a person) The state of being calm; peacefulness; absence of worry, anger, fear or other strong negative emotion.
2. (in a place or situation) The state of being calm; absence of noise and disturbance.
3. A period of time without wind.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:calmness

Derived terms

• ice-calm

Translations

Verb

calm (third-person singular simple present calms, present participle calming, simple past and past participle calmed)

1. (transitive) To make calm.

   to calm a crying baby

   to calm the passions

   • to calm the tempest raised by Aeolus

2. (intransitive) To become calm.

Synonyms

• allay, appease, calm down, cool off, ease, pacify, quieten, soothe, subdue

Antonyms

• agitate
• excite

Translations

Anagrams

• ALCM, CAML, CLAM, Caml, Malc, clam

Catalan

Etymology

From calma, probably in imitation of French calme (adjective) and Spanish calmo.

Adjective

calm (feminine calma, masculine plural calms, feminine plural calmes)

1. calm

Related terms

• calma
• calmar

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French calme.

Noun

calm n (plural calmuri)

1. composure (calmness of mind or matter, self-possession)

Related terms

• calma

English

Etymology

Corruption of the adjective disinterest/disinteressed.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??s?nt(?)??st?d/

Adjective

disinterested (comparative more disinterested, superlative most disinterested)

1. Having no stake or interest in the outcome; free of bias, impartial. [from 17th c.]
   • 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, ch. 1:

     With his disinterested passion for art, he had a real desire to call the attention of the wise to a talent which was in the highest degree original; [...]

   • 2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin 2012, p. 220:

     People are better off abjuring violence, if everyone else agrees to do so, and vesting authority in a disinterested third party.
2. Uninterested, lacking interest. [from 17th c.]
   • 1684, Contempl. State of Man I. x

     How dis-interested are they in all Worldly matters, since they fling their Wealth and Riches into the Sea.

   • 1936, Djuna Barnes, Nightwood, Faber & Faber 2007, p. 43:

     Robin took to wandering again, to intermittent travel from which she came back hours, days later, disinterested.

   • 1967, Tommy Frazer, The Sun (Baltimore), "A 'Doctor' Of Karate", March 27

     Those spotted are usually taught so slowly that they grow disinterested and quit.

Usage notes

• The correctness of the use of this word with the meaning uninterested is disputed. Some reference works consider it acceptable, while others do not. The OED specifies that this is "Often regarded as a loose use." According to Macmillan Dictionary, "Many people think that this use of the word is not correct".

Translations

References