keep your cool

USAGE SUMMARY

"keep your cool" is a perfectly acceptable phrase to use in written English.
It can be used to tell someone to maintain their composure or remain calm in a difficult situation. For example, you might say, "I know it's frustrating, but try to keep your cool and remember to breathe."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

News & Media

Forbes

HuffPost

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

* Keep your cool.

The New York Times

Just remember: keep your cool.

Independent

It's hard to keep your cool.

The New York Times - Travel

"You have to keep your cool".

The New York Times

So keep your cool.

TechCrunch

Above all, keep your cool.

Forbes

Keep your cool under pressure.

Forbes

Keep your cool, keep your focus.

Forbes

2) Keep Your Cool in Auctions.

Forbes

Keep your cool, bruh.

HuffPost

Keep your cool always.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When facing a challenging situation, tell yourself to "keep your cool" to avoid impulsive reactions.

Common error

Avoid using "keep your cool" when genuine empathy or concern is needed. Maintaining composure shouldn't come across as a lack of compassion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "keep your cool" functions as an imperative, urging someone to maintain composure and calmness. Ludwig AI indicates it is grammatically sound and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Wiki

44%

News & Media

27%

Forbes

5%

Less common in

HuffPost

1%

The New York Times

3%

TechCrunch

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "keep your cool" is a common and grammatically sound imperative used to advise someone to stay calm and composed, as confirmed by Ludwig. It's frequently found in Wiki and News & Media contexts, suggesting broad applicability. While generally considered neutral to informal, its usage spans diverse scenarios, urging emotional management and rational behavior. For formal settings, alternatives like "maintain composure" or "remain calm" may be more suitable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

stay calm

A more direct and simple way of saying "keep your cool".

remain calm

Similar to "stay calm" but with a slightly more formal tone.

keep it together

Suggests maintaining emotional and mental stability.

stay collected

Implies maintaining a calm and organized demeanor.

maintain composure

This alternative uses more formal language to convey the same idea of remaining calm.

keep a level head

This suggests maintaining clear thinking and rational behavior in stressful situations.

don't lose your temper

Focuses on avoiding anger rather than simply remaining calm.

hold your horses

An informal idiom suggesting patience and avoiding rash actions.

take it easy

An informal suggestion to relax and avoid stress.

be patient

Focuses on the ability to wait calmly without frustration.

FAQs

How to use "keep your cool" in a sentence?

You can use "keep your cool" to advise someone to remain calm and composed, like in the sentence, "Even though the negotiations were tense, he managed to "keep your cool" throughout the process."

What can I say instead of "keep your cool"?

You can use alternatives like "stay calm", "maintain composure", or "don't lose your temper depending on the context."

Is it appropriate to use "keep your cool" in formal writing?

While "keep your cool" is widely understood, it's generally more suitable for informal contexts. In formal writing, consider using phrases like "maintain composure" or "remain calm".

What's the difference between "keep your cool" and "hold your horses"?

"Keep your cool" generally means to remain calm and composed, while "hold your horses" implies to be patient and avoid rushing into something. They both suggest restraint, but in different ways.