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calmar

to calm

verb kahl-MAHR Rare

Also means

to soothe

Usage Note

Calmar takes a direct object for the thing being calmed (calmar los nervios, calmar el dolor). The reflexive calmarse means to calm down oneself, making it useful for reassurances like ¡Cálmate! (Calm down!). It overlaps with tranquilizar but calmar tends to target a physical sensation or emotion, while tranquilizar is more cognitive.

Examples

"La música suave me ayuda a calmar la ansiedad."

Natural Translation

Soft music helps me calm my anxiety.

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