different between calm vs listless

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

From Middle English lystles, equivalent to list (“desire”) +? -less. Compare Dutch lusteloos (“lethargic, listless”). Doublet of lustless.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?stl?s/

Adjective

listless (comparative more listless, superlative most listless)

1. Lacking energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness.
   • 1818, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein, ch. 18:

     I passed whole days on the lake alone in a little boat, watching the clouds and listening to the rippling of the waves, silent and listless.

   • 1861, Charlotte M. Yonge, The Stokesley Secret, ch. 6:

     What an entirely different set of beings were those Stokesley children in lesson-time. . . . Poor, listless, stolid, deplorable logs, with bowed backs and crossed ankles, pipy voices and heavy eyes!

   • 1901, William Somerset Maugham, The Hero, ch. 21:

     The scene with Mrs. Wallace had broken his spirit, and he was listless now, indifferent to what happened.

   • 2005 Nov. 29, Aryn Baker, "John Hardy: Bali Guy," Time:

     “Listless, inattentive, distracted,” he recited. “A daydreamer. Tries his best, but is too slow.”

Derived terms

• listlessly
• listlessness

Translations

Anagrams

• slitless