appease

[uh-peez]

verb (used with object)

appeased, appeasing 

1. to bring to a state of peace, quiet, ease, calm, or contentment; pacify; soothe.

   to appease an angry king.

   Synonyms: placate, calm
   Antonyms: enrage

2. to satisfy, allay, or relieve; assuage.

   The fruit appeased his hunger.

   Antonyms: sharpen, arouse, increase

3. to yield or concede to the belligerent demands of (a nation, group, person, etc.) in a conciliatory effort, sometimes at the expense of justice or other principles.

   Antonyms: defy

appease

/ əˈpiːz /

verb

1. to calm, pacify, or soothe, esp by acceding to the demands of

2. to satisfy or quell (an appetite or thirst, etc)

Other Word Forms

• appeaser noun
• appeasable adjective
• appeasableness noun
• appeasably adverb
• appeasement noun
• appeasingly adverb
• nonappeasable adjective
• nonappeasing adjective
• unappeasable adjective
• unappeasably adverb
• unappeased adjective
• unappeasing adjective
• unappeasingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of appease¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English apesen, from Anglo-French apeser, Old French apais(i)er; equivalent to a- ⁵ + peace

Word History and Origins

Origin of appease¹

C16: from Old French apaisier, from pais peace, from Latin pax

Synonym Study

Appease, conciliate, propitiate imply trying to preserve or obtain peace. To appease is to make anxious overtures and often undue concessions to satisfy the demands of someone with a greed for power, territory, etc.: Chamberlain tried to appease Hitler at Munich. To conciliate is to win an enemy or opponent over by displaying a willingness to be just and fair: When mutual grievances are recognized, conciliation is possible. To propitiate is to admit a fault, and, by trying to make amends, to allay hostile feeling: to propitiate an offended neighbor.

Example Sentences

“Stop appeasing Putin for some higher considerations,” she said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Postecoglou started with negative equity, which has already diminished, having never been a favoured appointment of the fans, but the 60-year-old feels victories will appease the doubters.

Read more on BBC

"The ABC let down the Australian public badly when it abjectly surrendered the rights of its employee... to appease a lobby group," Justice Rangiah said on Wednesday.

Read more on BBC

But there is little sense this will appease the anger on Labour's backbenchers about the situation in Gaza, nor the calls for the government to go further.

Read more on BBC

But that doesn’t appease the tenants who say a reserved parking spot in Koreatown is more than just a luxury — it’s a necessity.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• allay 
• alleviate 
• assuage 
• blunt 
• calm 
• lessen 
• mitigate 
• mollify 
• placate 
• quell 
• soften 
• soothe