# calm before the storm

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/calm-before-the-storm
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A period of peace before a disturbance or crisis; an unnatural or false calm before a storm.

## Examples

- It is very quiet now, just the calm before the storm.
- The office was strangely silent this morning, but we all knew it was just the calm before the storm of the holiday rush.
- The soldiers stood in the trenches, watching the horizon in a tense silence that felt like the calm before the storm.

## Origin

From sailors' and farmers' observation of the eerie lull that often precedes a storm; figurative since the 17th century. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.