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

• assuager noun
• assuagement noun
• assuasive adjective
• unassuaging 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

Investors have a chance to put those concerns, which were assuaged in part by solid earnings reports and credit market commentary from a host of regional lenders on Friday, firmly behind them this week.

Read more on Barron's

The presence of the Ivorian army in the remote and long-neglected northeast, hundreds of kilometres from the economic capital Abidjan, has succeeded in assuaging locals' concerns -- to an extent.

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And data center operators are finding ways to assuage some community concerns.

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And data center operators are finding ways to assuage some community concerns.

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They reached out to key players in the entertainment industry — including Walt Disney Co. — about potential areas for collaboration and trying to assuage concerns about its technology.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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