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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.
Examples of placid in a Sentence
Taylor Haney, NPR, 18 June 2025
Shortly after, the placid family evening was interrupted when, prosecutors alleged, Jenkins’ brother, Jalonie, stabbed her so brutally that her trachea was split in half.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
The filmmaking matches the placid discontent of the characters.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 June 2025
Its setting once bore the rich grandeur of the Northwest, framed by mountains, royal robes of evergreens trailing into the placid harbor of Commencement Bay.
—Caroline Fraser
june 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for placid
Cite this Entry
“Placid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/placid. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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placid
adjective
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