keep calm — stay relaxed
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To stay relaxed and not get upset, worried, or angry, especially in a difficult or stressful situation.
Say it like a native
Textbook It is important to maintain emotional composure under duress.
Native Just try to keep calm.
'Keep calm' is natural; 'maintain emotional composure' is clinical.
Pattern: keep calm (in/when/while...)
In use
- Even though the fire alarm went off, she managed to keep calm and help everyone leave the building safely.daily life
- In stressful situations, I try to keep calm by taking deep breaths and focusing on finding a solution.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Keep calm yourself.
✓ Keep calm. / Calm down.
'Keep calm' takes no object; to tell someone to relax, say 'keep calm' or 'calm down'.
Common collocations
keep calm— stay, and carry on, try to, under pressure
Don't confuse it
'Keep calm' focuses on not losing control, while 'stay calm' can be used more generally.