settle down — become calm
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To become quiet, relaxed, or less active, especially after being excited or upset.
Say it like a native
Textbook Please compose yourselves and cease your excitement.
Native Right, everyone settle down.
Natural; 'compose yourselves and cease your excitement' is formal/theatrical.
Pattern: settle down (often used without an object)
In use
- After the teacher entered the room, the students quickly settled down.daily life
- When I feel stressed before an exam, I try to take deep breaths to help myself settle down.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The kids couldn't settle down themselves.
✓ The kids couldn't settle down.
Intransitive here — no reflexive object; you don't 'settle down yourself'.
Common collocations
settle down— settle down a bit, quickly, take a while to, everyone
Don't confuse it
'Settle down' can mean to become calm or to start a stable life—make sure you choose the right meaning for the situation.
Related
- settle down (start a stable life) — Another meaning of 'settle down' is 'start a stable life'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.