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allay

[ uh-ley ]
/ əˈleɪ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR allay ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), al·layed, al·lay·ing.

to put (fear, doubt, suspicion, anger, etc.) to rest; calm; quiet.
to lessen or relieve; mitigate; alleviate: to allay pain.

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Origin of allay

before 1000; Middle English aleyen,Old English ālecgan to put down, allay (ā-a-3 + lecgan to lay1); spelling -ll- shows influence of the now obsolete allege (<Anglo-French, Old French aleg(i)er;see allege) to alleviate, allay

synonym study for allay

1. Allay, moderate, soothe mean to reduce excitement or emotion. To allay is to lay to rest or lull to a sense of security, possibly by making the emotion seem unjustified: to allay suspicion, anxiety, fears. To moderate is to tone down any excess and thus to restore calm: to moderate the expression of one's grief. To soothe is to exert a pacifying or tranquilizing influence: to soothe a terrified child.

OTHER WORDS FROM allay

al·lay·er, nounun·al·layed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH allay

allay , alley, alloy, ally

Words nearby allay

al-Lat, allative, all at once, all at sea, alla vostra salute, allay, all better, All Blacks, all but, all clear, all cylinders
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to allay

mitigate, assuage, lessen, calm, alleviate, pacify, mollify, ease, compose, lighten, quiet, square, decrease, abate, moderate, cool out, make nice, play up to

Example sentences from the Web for allay

British Dictionary definitions for allay

allay
/ (əˈleɪ) /

verb

to relieve (pain, grief, etc) or be relieved
(tr) to reduce (fear, anger, etc)

Word Origin for allay

Old English ālecgan to put down, from lecgan to lay 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012