English Reference
Adjective

tranquil

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈtɹæŋkwəɫ/ UK /tɹˈænkwɪl/ tran·quil

adj.calm, quiet, and peaceful. You use this to describe a place or a person that is free from any disturbance or noise.

adj.free from disturbance or turmoil; peaceful and quiet. Often used to describe environments or a person's state of mind.


SIMPLE

The lake was tranquil in the early morning light.

CONTEXTUAL

After a stressful week in the city, she found the tranquil atmosphere of the mountain cabin very healing.

COMPLEX

The monastery was built in a tranquil valley, far removed from the political upheavals that characterized the rest of the century.

Usage

Commonly used both attributively before a noun and predicatively after linking verbs like 'remain' or 'seem'.


Borrowed from Middle French tranquille, from Latin tranquillus, from trāns- + the root of quiēs (“rest, quiet, peace”), ultimately from *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin tranquillus
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated