✅ Poised describes someone who is composed, dignified, and sure of themselves (I tried to make sure I looked poised as I walked into the cafeteria).

✅ Collected describes someone who is calm and self-controlled (The captain was collected even as the crew panicked).

✅ Poised and collected both describe someone who is controlling themselves, generally in a situation in which doing so is difficult.

✅ Collected suggests keeping it together in a difficult or stressful environment (I try to always seem collected, even when I don’t know what I’m doing), while poised suggests having a sense of dignity and self-assuredness (I admired his poised demeanor).

✅ Cool refers to someone who is calm and composed (She was surprised by how cool she was under pressure).

✅ Imperturbable refers to someone who isn’t easily excited, upset, or agitated (The imperturbable diplomat ignored the cruel comment).

✅ Cool also suggests being logical and thinking clearly under pressure (If I keep cool, I can come up with an escape plan).

✅ Imperturbable can suggest this but more often suggests being difficult to shock or surprise (No matter what prank we pulled, she was always imperturbable).

✅ Acrid describes something that tastes or smells biting or sharp or that irritates the eyes and nose (Acrid smoke billowed across the sky).

✅ Astringent describes something biting or caustic (The fruit is astringent and not too pleasant to eat).

✅ Although both acrid and astringent describe intense and often irritating tastes and smells, acrid tends to refer to things like smoke and gas, whereas astringent can refer to food or cleaning ingredients, such as vinegar or lemon juice.