allay

[uh-ley]

verb (used with object)

allayed, allaying 

1. to put (fear, doubt, suspicion, anger, etc.) to rest; calm; quiet.

   Synonyms: assuage, soften
   Antonyms: excite

2. to lessen or relieve; mitigate; alleviate.

   to allay pain.

   Synonyms: ease, temper, mollify, lighten

allay

/ əˈleɪ /

verb

1. to relieve (pain, grief, etc) or be relieved

2. (tr) to reduce (fear, anger, etc)

Other Word Forms

• allayer noun
• unallayed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of allay¹

before 1000; Middle English aleyen, Old English ālecgan to put down, allay ( ā- a- ³ + lecgan to lay ¹ ); spelling -ll- shows influence of the now obsolete allege (< Anglo-French, Old French aleg ( i ) er; allege ) to alleviate, allay

Word History and Origins

Origin of allay¹

Old English ālecgan to put down, from lecgan to _lay ¹

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Airports were briefly closed, Denmark's military sites were made to look vulnerable, and senior ministers were forced to give a rushed press conference to allay public concerns.

From BBC

But a sale must still satisfy US lawmakers and allay the worries that kickstarted everything.

From BBC

Raising the bar for guilty verdicts is intended to allay the concerns of some defence lawyers who fear the the abolition of the not proven verdict could increase the risk of wrongful convictions.

From BBC

But that did little to allay the concerns of Dermish and his neighbors, who continued to see flares light up the sky and to smell gas wafting over the community.

From Salon

Two weeks ago Pannier-Runacher released another Instagram video in which she tried to allay fears about the orcas' welfare and said regular inspections of the pools were taking place.

From BBC

Related Words

• alleviate 
• assuage 
• calm 
• ease 
• lessen 
• mitigate 
• mollify 
• pacify