assuage

[uh-sweyj, uh-sweyzh]

verb (used with object)

assuaged, assuaging 

1. to make milder or less severe; alleviate; ease; mitigate.

   to assuage one's grief;

   to assuage one's pain.

   Synonyms: relieve, lessen, diminish, allay

2. to appease; satisfy; sate.

   to assuage one's hunger.

3. to soothe, calm, or mollify.

   to assuage his fears;

   to assuage her anger.

assuage

/ əˈsweɪdʒ, əˈsweɪsɪv /

verb

1. to soothe, moderate, or relieve (grief, pain, etc)

2. to give relief to (thirst, appetite, etc); satisfy

3. to pacify; calm

Other Word Forms

• assuagement noun
• assuager noun
• unassuaging adjective
• assuasive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of assuage¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English aswagen, from Old French asouagier, from unrecorded Vulgar Latin assuāviāre, equivalent to Latin as- as- + -suāviāre, verbal derivative of Latin suāvis “agreeable to the taste, pleasant” ( suave; akin to sweet )

Word History and Origins

Origin of assuage¹

C14: from Old French assouagier, from Vulgar Latin assuāviāre (unattested) to sweeten, from Latin suāvis pleasant; see _suave

Example Sentences

To assuage their fears, legislators added an amendment allowing cities to exempt those areas in the state’s very high fire hazard severity zones until about 2030.

From Los Angeles Times

But his move has failed to assuage public anger, which has been intensified by the crackdown on protesters.

From BBC

Whenever Ohtani takes the mound again, the Dodgers are hopeful that concerns about his pitching stamina will be somewhat assuaged.

From Los Angeles Times

It's not a good look, even with her spokesperson's explanation that she was trying to "assuage" Epstein after he threatened to sue her for defamation.

From BBC

A spokesperson for the duchess said the email was sent after Epstein had threatened to sue her for defamation - in an effort to assuage him.

From BBC

Related Words

• allay 
• alleviate 
• appease 
• lessen 
• mitigate 
• mollify 
• pacify 
• placate 
• quench 
• sate 
• satisfy 
• soften 
• temper