Definition of placidnext
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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 Director Juliette Carrillo displays a strong feel for dynamic contrast, the pace ebbing and flowing in engaging fashion, as when a placid interlude of shadow puppetry gives way to a road rally. Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026 The sun set out of view, behind the island, but the placid Caribbean horizon beyond my window offered a contemplative charm all its own. John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026 That’s in keeping with the album’s overall vibe; even at its most placid, there’s an unsettling undercurrent. Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 14 Jan. 2026 Without unbending her back, the mother arranges her mouth into a placid line. Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for placid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for placid
Adjective
  • While home to less than 2,000 students, the campus, called the Domain, spans 13,000 acres, much of it still wild and undeveloped, and the areas where college life unfolds are dotted with Gothic Revival architecture; take it all in with a serene stroll.
    Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Set upon a four-acre estate with a large pool and serene pond, the property takes inspiration form an English country house.
    Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Turning onto shady Little Road felt instantly tranquil.
    Christopher Spata, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
  • That earlier film, a languid, unsettling thriller, focused on its protagonist’s emotional breakdown during a supposedly tranquil Mediterranean vacation.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Maybe quiet parenting, like quiet quitting and quiet luxury before it, could catch on as a meme among key influencers.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Dan Campbell said the quiet part out loud, a bit unprompted, when asked about his confidence level in potentially moving star right tackle Penei Sewell to left tackle.
    Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The spa The Retreat spa is the incredibly calm, beating heart of this property.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Then the lights went out in the store, and one of the clerks shrieked in the dark, and another told her to remain calm.
    Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • While there seems to have been a relatively peaceful dynamic inside the SAG-AFTRA building over the past few weeks, the same cannot be said for things outside on Wilshire Blvd where the WGA West‘s staff has been picketing the writers’ negotiations amid a seven-week strike.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2026
  • The ranch-style retreat backs up to the Wekiva River, offering a peaceful, scenic escape.
    Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • What caught my attention, however, beyond the lip-syncing and costume changes, was the family opposite me: the mother neat and composed, father in golf-course polo and chinos, two thirty-something sons cheering alongside a girlfriend who would not look out of place on a pageant stage.
    Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Before Tuesday night, Konate had looked much more composed and commanding.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • In the nearly 50 years since it was released, Faces of Death has become something of a cursed object, the kind of movie that gets traded around on old VHS tapes and spoken about in hushed tones on playgrounds and in video stores.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
  • There’s a beguiling dissonance between the hushed voiceover and the images of ships carrying cables and dropping them in the ocean for the internet to reach the island.
    Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Placid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/placid. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.

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