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Synonym Chooser

How is the word placid different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of placid are calm, peaceful, serene, and tranquil. While all these words mean "quiet and free from disturbance," placid suggests an undisturbed appearance and often implies a degree of complacency.

remained placid despite the criticism

When is it sensible to use calm instead of placid?

The synonyms calm and placid are sometimes interchangeable, but calm often implies a contrast with a foregoing or nearby state of agitation or violence.

the protests ended, and the streets were calm again

In what contexts can peaceful take the place of placid?

The meanings of peaceful and placid largely overlap; however, peaceful implies a state of repose in contrast with or following strife or turmoil.

grown peaceful in old age

When is serene a more appropriate choice than placid?

While the synonyms serene and placid are close in meaning, serene stresses an unclouded and lofty tranquility.

watched the sunset of a serene summer's evening

When can tranquil be used instead of placid?

While in some cases nearly identical to placid, tranquil suggests a very deep quietude or composure.

the tranquil beauty of a formal garden

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of placid For decades, that task would have taken place in the placid setting of a bullpen session. Andy McCullough, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 There are meadows full of elk and rivers stacked with trout, steep slopes, and placid lakes. Graham Averill, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2025 May 13, 2021 issue Prudence Crowther and James Taibi Olympic Notes August 8, 1996 issue Christopher Benfey Resistance Pottery Two recent exhibitions of the work of Black potters find political acts in the placid history of nineteenth-century American stoneware. Heather O’Donnell, The New York Review of Books, 24 Apr. 2025 Damn, again, my woulda, shoulda anger steams beneath a somewhat placid exterior. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for placid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for placid
Adjective
  • Waldorf Astoria Orlando Set amid a lush nature preserve and conveniently just minutes from Walt Disney World, Four-Star Waldorf Astoria Orlando offers a serene counterpoint to the region’s theme park frenzy.
    Katie Lara, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • By the next afternoon, the art crowd had decamped and Hydra returned to its serene summer pace, with other low-key art sites revealing themselves like sculptural rocks at low tide.
    Tony Perrottet, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Click here to see all the photos of the tranquil New York getaway.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 May 2025
  • The saga of this allegedly civilized periodical seemed about as tranquil as a Viking smithy.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Adjective
  • The saw-whets, perhaps intimidated by the larger owl, had gone quiet.
    Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 10 May 2025
  • Brazile, a current ABC News contributor, added that Biden stayed relatively quiet during Trump's first 100 days in office this term, honoring an unwritten presidential tradition, and stressed that Biden deserves a platform.
    Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • Three Palestinians in Gaza told Reuters early on Monday afternoon that there had been calm since midday, with no sound of drones or warplanes.
    James Mackenzie, USA Today, 13 May 2025
  • In an Instagram reel, Chenoa, 26, is seen holding her daughter as the baby gazes upwards with a calm expression.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • The story will chronicle the events of May 15, 1970, when Mississippi police opened fire outside dormitories at Jackson State College (now Jackson State University), killing two unarmed students and injuring 12 others, during a peaceful protest against racial injustice.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 May 2025
  • Unlike uranium enrichment, tritium has virtually no peaceful or commercial applications, casting further doubt on Iran’s longstanding claims that its nuclear ambitions are solely for energy or civilian use.
    Gillian Turner , Nick Kalman, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • The speech was met with interruptions from hecklers, prompting Kennedy to remain composed and even express gratitude for the lessons learned from such interactions.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The resort’s composed, perfectionist manager who returned to Japan after years in New York’s hospitality industry.
    Martine Paris, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Placid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/placid. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

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