emollient

[ ih-mol-yuhnt ]

See synonyms for emollient on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having the power of softening or relaxing, as a medicinal substance; soothing, especially to the skin: emollient lotions for the face.

noun

an emollient medicine, lotion, salve, etc.

Origin of emollient

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin ēmollient- (stem of ēmolliēns ) “softening up” (present participle of ēmollīre ), equivalent to ē- intensive prefix + molli(s) “soft” + -ent- noun and adjective suffix; see e-¹, -ent

Other words for emollient

1	relieving, palliative, healing, assuasive

See synonyms for emollient on Thesaurus.com

Other words from emollient

e·mol·lience, noun

Words Nearby emollient

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use emollient in a sentence

Try adding a richly emollient body cream to your daily routine for long-lasting hydration that will leave skin hydrated and fabulous, not dried out, which can enhance fine lines and wrinkles.
ABC’s of Skin Health: Get to Know the Skincare Ingredients That Go Into the Science of Great Skin and How They Help Melanated Skin Types | Steven Psyllos | June 25, 2021 | Essence.com
Oatmeal is an emollient, which means that it holds moisture against the skin.
Healthy SKINvestigation: Uncovering Eczema on Melanated Skin | Steven Psyllos | June 25, 2021 | Essence.com
Rubenstein listened and as an emollient agreed to an in-house investigation.
The Latino Fight to Be Included in the Kennedy Center Honors | Sandra McElwaine | November 29, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
No soft hand of woman smoothed his pillow or relieved the agony of pain and suffering by the timely opiate or emollient.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 2, No. 2, August, 1862 | Various
Ben rushed, and had an emollient; spouted again and was corked; again, and received a neat red-waxen stopper.
The Amazing Marriage, Complete | George Meredith

The bowels have been kept open from the 19th, by the occasional use of emollient injections.
An Account of the Foxglove and some of its Medical Uses | William Withering
It was attempted to relieve this induration by emollient fomentations.
Four Years in France | Henry Digby Beste
He must have seen that its effect would only be to irritate a spirit needing an emollient.
Guy Rivers: A Tale of Georgia | William Gilmore Simms

British Dictionary definitions for emollient

emollient

/ (ɪˈmɒlɪənt) /

adjective

softening or soothing, esp to the skin
helping to avoid confrontation; calming

noun

any preparation or substance that has a softening or soothing effect, esp when applied to the skin

Origin of emollient

C17: from Latin ēmollīre to soften, from mollis soft

Derived forms of emollient

emollience, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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