Dictionary.com

allay

[ uh-ley ]
/ əˈleɪ /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: allay / allayed / allaying 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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use allay in a sentence

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
FEEDBACK