verb
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to relieve (pain, grief, etc) or be relieved
-
(tr) to reduce (fear, anger, etc)
Related Words
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 Word Forms
- allayer noun
- unallayed adjective
Etymology
Origin of allay
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sought to allay fears about the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, mentioning a forthcoming “series of announcements” by the administration to support the shipping trade.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
But such arguments do little to allay the fears of prospective buyers who fear they could find they've handed over hundreds for a lemon.
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
Marketers see partnering with Tools for Humanity as a way to gain attention, attract new customers and, in the case of Tinder, to help allay consumers’ security concerns regarding their products.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
In July, the council sent a letter to 40 residents at the mobile home park to "allay concerns" about the land.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
In order to allay any fears his clients might have about his political leanings, he had altered his name slightly.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
