German word

gelassen

Pronunciation

IPA/gəˈlasn̩/

Meaning

  • adjectivecalm

Example

Er bleibt gelassen.

He remains calm.

Illustration for gelassen (calm)

More examples

Sie nahm die Kritik gelassen an.

She accepted the criticism calmly.

Core concept

A calm face and unhurried response remain unchanged when an unexpected problem appears.

Common phrases

  • gelassen bleiben

    remain calm

  • sich gelassen zeigen

    appear composed

Similar words

ruhig: Quiet and peaceful, with little noise or disturbance.
entspannt: Free from physical or emotional tension and able to relax.
ausgeglichen: Even-tempered and emotionally steady in different situations.
souverän: Confident and capable when handling situations calmly and effectively.

Definition in German

ruhig und innerlich stabil; auch in stressigen Situationen nicht leicht aus der Fassung zu bringen

Word origin

As a past participle of lassen, gelassen originally meant 'left' or 'allowed to remain', and its modern adjective sense extends this idea to emotional composure.

Usage tips

  • Gelassen can describe a person, tone, or reaction, and it is especially natural with bleiben and reagieren.

Other meanings

  • composedadjective
  • sereneadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word