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

For an extra pop, Gonzalez applies a balmy, subtle highlight to the top of her cheeks. —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025

So while much of the nation is suffering through cold, snow and ice, Friday’s temperatures in San Jose hit a balmy 73 degrees. —Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2025

Earlier in the day, Anchorage, Alaska, was a comparatively balmy 40 degrees Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. —Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025

Crash!’ After weeks of icy temperatures in the region, Wednesday night felt comparatively balmy. —Ray Sanchez and Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 1 Feb. 2025

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