calm before the storm

noun

A period of peace before a disturbance or crisis; an unnatural or false calm before a storm.

“The meeting may be peaceful now, but this is only the calm before the storm.”

Similar
lull before the storm
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Meanings

nounthe calm before the storm (plural calms before storms)

plural calms before storms

  1. idiomaticA period of peace before a disturbance or crisis; an unnatural or false calm before a storm.

    The meeting may be peaceful now, but this is only the calm before the storm.

    1 more example

    Calm before the storm, Marines. Enjoy it.

    2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: Crow's Nest

    Synonyms: lull before the storm

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA period of peace before a disturbance or crisis; an unnatural or false calm before a storm.

Similar
lull before the storm
Also see
lull before the storm

Translations

Arabic الْهُدُوء الَّذِي يَسْبِق الْعَاصِفَةَ
  • الْهُدُوء الَّذِي يَسْبِق الْعَاصِفَةَ (al-hudūʔ allaḏī yasbiq al-ʕāṣifata)peace before a disturbance or crisis
Bulgarian зати́шие пред бу́ря
  • зати́шие пред бу́ря (zatíšie pred búrja)peace before a disturbance or crisis
Chinese Mandarin 暴風雨前的平靜 /暴风雨前的平静
  • 暴風雨前的平靜 /暴风雨前的平静 (bàofēngyǔ qián de píngjìng)peace before a disturbance or crisis
Czech ticho před bouří
  • ticho před bouřípeace before a disturbance or crisis
Danish stilhed før stormen
  • stilhed før stormenpeace before a disturbance or crisis
Dutch stilte voor de storm
  • stilte voor de stormpeace before a disturbance or crisis
Estonian vaikus enne tormi
  • vaikus enne tormipeace before a disturbance or crisis
Finnish tyyni myrskyn edellä
  • tyyni myrskyn edelläpeace before a disturbance or crisis
French calme avant la tempête
  • calme avant la tempêtepeace before a disturbance or crisis
German Ruhe vor dem Sturm
  • Ruhe vor dem Sturmpeace before a disturbance or crisis
Greek η νηνεμία πριν την καταιγίδα
  • η νηνεμία πριν την καταιγίδα (i ninemía prin tin kataigída)peace before a disturbance or crisis
Hebrew השקט שלפני הסערה
  • השקט שלפני הסערה (hashéket shelifnéy haseará)peace before a disturbance or crisis
Hindi तूफ़ान के पहले की शांति
  • तूफ़ान के पहले की शांति (tūfān ke pahle kī śānti)peace before a disturbance or crisis
Hungarian vihar előtti csend
  • vihar előtti csendpeace before a disturbance or crisis
Icelandic lognið á undan storminum
  • lognið á undan storminumpeace before a disturbance or crisis
Irish cothú na doininne, ciúnas roimh an doineann
  • cothú na doininnepeace before a disturbance or crisis
  • ciúnas roimh an doineannpeace before a disturbance or crisis
Italian quiete prima della tempesta
  • quiete prima della tempestapeace before a disturbance or crisis
Japanese 嵐の前の静けさ
  • 嵐の前の静けさ (arashi no mae no shizukesa)peace before a disturbance or crisis
Norwegian Bokmål stille før stormen
  • stille før stormenpeace before a disturbance or crisis
Polish cisza przed burzą
  • cisza przed burząpeace before a disturbance or crisis
Portuguese calmaria antes da tempestade
  • calmaria antes da tempestadepeace before a disturbance or crisis
Russian зати́шье пе́ред бу́рей
  • зати́шье пе́ред бу́рей (zatíšʹje péred búrej)peace before a disturbance or crisis
Slovak ticho pred búrkou
  • ticho pred búrkoupeace before a disturbance or crisis
Spanish calma que precede a la tormenta, calma antes de la tormenta
  • calma que precede a la tormentapeace before a disturbance or crisis
  • calma antes de la tormentapeace before a disturbance or crisis
Swedish lugnet före stormen
  • lugnet före stormenpeace before a disturbance or crisis
Tagalog nagbabadyang unos
  • nagbabadyang unospeace before a disturbance or crisis
Turkish fırtına öncesi sessizlik
  • fırtına öncesi sessizlikpeace before a disturbance or crisis
Ukrainian зати́шшя пе́ред бу́рею, передгро́ззя
  • зати́шшя пе́ред бу́рею (zatýššja péred búreju)peace before a disturbance or crisis
  • передгро́ззя (peredhrózzja)peace before a disturbance or crisis
Vietnamese bình yên trước bão
  • bình yên trước bãopeace before a disturbance or crisis
Cite this entry
APA

calm before the storm. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calm%20before%20the%20storm

MLA

“calm before the storm.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calm%20before%20the%20storm. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “calm before the storm,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calm%20before%20the%20storm.

Source: calm before the storm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.