serene

comparative more serene · comparative serener · superlative most serene · superlative serenest

1. Calm, peaceful, unruffled.

   She looked at her students with joviality and a serene mentality.

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   Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes. The clear light of the bright autumn morning had no terrors for youth and health like hers.

   1910, Emerson Hough, “A Lady in Company”, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 6

   Synonyms: cool-headed, placid, calm, steady, collected, composed, cool-headed, equable

2. Without worry or anxiety; unaffected by disturbance.

   I took train and reached Wichita, where my active partner was awaiting me. He had just returned from the Medicine River, and reported everything serene.

   1908, Andy Adams, Reed Anthony, Cowman

   Synonyms: easygoing, unconcerned, airy, at ease, at peace, carefree, careless, casual

3. archaicFair and unclouded (as of the sky); clear; unobscured.

   A serene sky and verdant fields filled me with ecstasy.

   1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter VI, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC

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   Now ſleeping flocks on their ſoft fleeces lie, / The moon, ſerene in glory, mounts the sky, […]

   1717, Alexander Pope, “Winter. The Fourth Pastoral. […]”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], →OCLC, page 30

   Full many a gem of pureſt ray ſerene / The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear: […]

   1750 June 12 (date written; published 1751), T[homas] Gray, “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”, in Designs by Mr. R[ichard] Bentley, for Six Poems by Mr. T. Gray, London: […] R[obert] Dodsley, […], published 1753, →OCLC, page 32

4. Used as part of certain titles, originally to indicate sovereignty or independence.

   Her Serene Highness

present singular third person serenes · participle present serening · participle past serened · past serened

1. transitiveTo make serene.

   When heaven and earth, as if contending, vye / To raiſe his being, and ſerene his ſoul.

   a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC, page 34, lines 866–867

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   The Hoary Froſts, and Northern Blaſts take care / Thy muddy Bev'rage to ſerene, and drive / Præcipitant the baſer, ropy Lees.

   1708, [John Philips], “Book II”, in Cyder. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 68

plural serenes

1. poeticSerenity; clearness; calmness.

   the serene of heaven

   1801, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] [F]or T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Cottle, […], →OCLC

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   To their master is denied / To share their sweet serene.

   1742, Edward Young, Night Thoughts on Life, Death and Immortality

plural serenes · alternative serein · alternative obsolete serena

1. A fine rain from a cloudless sky after sunset.

   ... Nor unwholesome serene shall From the moon's moist influence fall.

   1872 [1636], George Sandys, The Poetical Works of George Sandys: A paraphrase upon the Psalms, page 280

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   Some ſerene blaſt me, or dire lightning ſtrike / This my offending face.

   1605 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, Ben: Ionson His Volpone or The Foxe, [London]: […] [George Eld] for Thomas Thorppe, published 1607, →OCLC, Act III, scene vii, signatures H2, recto – H2, verso

   ... to preserve the Brain from the Serenes that fall in hot Countries, and other Injuries of the Air, especially in the Night, […]

   1749, John Lowthorp, THE PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS AND COLLECTIONS To the End of the Year MDCC: ABRIDGED, And Disposed Under GENERAL HEADS., page 861

1. A female given name from English. A rare variant of Serena.

   The Prince according to the former token, / Which faire Serene to him delivered had, […]

   1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 18