emollient

American  

[ih-mol-yuhnt] / ɪˈmɒl yənt /

adjective

1. having the power of softening or relaxing, as a medicinal substance; soothing, especially to the skin.

   emollient lotions for the face.

   Synonyms:

   assuasive, healing, palliative

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noun

1. an emollient medicine, lotion, salve, etc.

emollient British  

/ ɪˈmɒlɪənt /

adjective

1. softening or soothing, esp to the skin

2. helping to avoid confrontation; calming

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noun

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

Other Word Forms

• emollience noun

Etymology

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; e- ¹, -ent

Explanation

An emollient is a cream or ointment with a thick, gooey texture. When your hands are dry and cracked in the winter, you probably apply an emollient to make them softer. Emollient comes from a Latin word with the same spelling, which means “to make soft.” The noun form of emollient refers to a substance that makes something soft. However, emollient can also be an adjective used to describe something with a softening or soothing effect. For example, the annoying child on the airplane might be soothed by the emollient sound of the pilot’s voice over the intercom.

Example Sentences

To test whether water anoles are an exception to the rule, Swierk prevented the formation of normal rebreathing bubbles over the lizards' nostrils by applying a commercial emollient to their skin surface.

From Salon • Sep. 18, 2024

Lipner recommends slathering a thick emollient cream on the area, then putting on a pair of cotton socks and letting the moisturizer do its work while you sleep.

From Washington Post • May 1, 2023

Sunak has been more emollient, making warm calls to European leaders in the days after taking office.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2022

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who succeeded Ms. Truss last month, seems to be taking a more emollient approach.

From New York Times • Nov. 14, 2022

This underscored Bush’s esteem for the breadth of Lawrence’s scientific knowledge and his emollient managerial technique.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik