balmy

adjective

ˈbä-mē  ˈbäl-mē 

balmier; balmiest

1

a

: having the qualities of balm : soothing

… 'tis a soldier's life to have their balmy slumbers wak'd with strife.

—Shakespeare

b

: mild, temperate

balmy weather

a balmy summer evening

2

: lacking reason or mental soundness : foolish, irrational

… he is now likely to feel that a rather large part of the country has gone slightly balmy.

—George A. Parks

balmily

ˈbä(l)-mə-lē 

adverb

balminess

ˈbä(l)-mē-nəs 

noun

Did you know?

Aromatic ointments and fragrances are the bomb. They are also, literally, balms: healing substances and soothing scents with the power to ease both mind and body. The original balm, what Latin-speakers referred to as balsamum, was the oleoresin of a species of balsam tree. In Anglo-French, balsamum became basme and baume, spellings which entered Middle English and later became balm. Balm eventually begat the adjective balmy, used to describe things with a balm’s comforting, calming qualities, as when Shakespeare’s Othello speaks of “balmy slumbers.” Today balmy is typically used to describe the weather—balmy breezes, balmy temperatures, balmy spring afternoons, et al—conditions that are neither too hot nor too cold, but just right—Goldilocks conditions, even.

Synonyms

• barmy [chiefly British]
• bats
• batty
• bedlam
• bonkers
• brainsick
• bughouse [slang]
• certifiable
• crackbrained
• cracked
• crackers
• crackpot
• cranky [dialect]
• crazed
• crazy
• cuckoo
• daffy
• daft
• demented
• deranged
• fruity [slang]
• gaga
• haywire
• insane
• kooky
• kookie
• loco [slang]
• loony
• looney
• loony tunes
• looney tunes
• lunatic
• mad
• maniacal
• maniac
• mental
• meshuga
• meshugge
• meshugah
• meshuggah
• moonstruck
• non compos mentis
• nuts
• nutty
• psycho
• psychotic
• scatty [chiefly British]
• screwy
• unbalanced
• unhinged
• unsound
• wacko
• whacko
• wacky
• whacky
• wud [chiefly Scottish]

Examples of balmy in a Sentence

a completely balmy but harmless old man who talked intently to plants and believed they answered back

a pleasant, balmy breeze was all that stirred the wildflowers growing near the shore

Recent Examples on the Web

The region’s balmy surf season, from December to May, aligns perfectly with the Northern Hemisphere’s winter, drawing wave-chasers and a vibrant influx of local hospitality and culinary projects. —Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025

Friday's balmy weather is heading out, at least for a little while. —Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 3 Jan. 2025

During this time of year, festival season is in full swing, temperatures hover around the balmy 70s, and the city's purple jacaranda trees are in full bloom across the city. —Sarah Reid, Travel + Leisure, 25 Dec. 2024

In the West and Southeast, a stretch of balmy weather is expected to remain through Christmas Day, with a high of 64 forecast for Los Angeles, 71 in Phoenix, 73 in New Orleans and 78 in Miami. —Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 22 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see balm

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

balmy

adjective

ˈbäm-ē  ˈbäl-mē 

balmier; balmiest

1

a

: gently soothing

b

: temperate sense 5

balmy weather

2

: foolish, absurd

balmily

ˈbäm-ə-lē 

ˈbäl-mə-

adverb

balminess

ˈbäm-ē-nəs 

ˈbäl-mē-

noun