Composed

easyPositive tone

kum-POHZD

adjective

Definition

Having one's feelings and expression under control; calm

Memory hook

COM-POSED: someone who has themselves 'put together' — calm, collected, and self-controlled.

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Word roots

componereto put together(Latin)

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Examples

Despite the crisis, she remained remarkably composed.
His composed demeanor under pressure impressed the interviewers.

Test yourself

Fill in the blank with the right word:

Despite the crisis, she remained remarkably ______.
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composed

Synonyms

sereneunflappableplacidcollected

Antonyms

agitatedflusteredperturbeddistraught

Categories

View all Emotion words

GRE Tip

Composed is a easy-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "serene" or "unflappable" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "agitated".

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