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

Even as skeptics have raised concerns about potential risks to consumers posed by more widespread adoption of stablecoins, Allaire has tried to allay regulators’ worries and integrate the product into mainstream finance.

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Germany’s SAP proposed changes to how clients can request support and pay for its business-management software, seeking to allay competition concerns from European Union officials weeks after they launched an investigation into the company.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The new chair will have to craft policy that incorporates the thinking of a number of regional Fed presidents, including Hammack, who have inflation concerns that are unlikely to be easily allayed.

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Nothing they learned that day allayed their suspicion.

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But Salt allayed fears from some fans following reports that the show may have been shelved for good.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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