verb
1. become quiet or calm, especially after a state of agitation (Freq. 4)
-
After the fight both men need to cool off.
-
It took a while after the baby was born for things to settle down again.
• Syn: ↑calm, ↑cool off, ↑chill out, ↑simmer down, ↑settle down, ↑cool it
• Hypernyms: ↑change state, ↑turn
• Verb Frames:
-
Something ——s
-
Somebody ——s
2. make calm or still
-
quiet the dragons of worry and fear
• Syn:
• Derivationally related forms: ↑still (for: ↑still), ↑lull (for: ↑lull), ↑tranquilizer (for: ↑tranquilize), ↑quiet (for: ↑quiet)
• Hyponyms:
↑lull, ↑compose, ↑pacify, ↑lenify, ↑conciliate, ↑assuage, ↑appease, ↑mollify, ↑placate, ↑gentle, ↑gruntle, ↑reassure, ↑assure
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s somebody
-
Something ——s somebody
-
The performance is likely to calm down Sue
3. become quiet or less intensive
-
the fighting lulled for a moment
• Syn: ↑lull
• Verb Frames:
-
Something ——s
* * *
to become or make sb become calm
•
Look, calm down! We'll find her.
•
We waited inside until things calmed down.
•
He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.