emollient
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
softening or soothing, esp to the skin
-
helping to avoid confrontation; calming
noun
Other Word Forms
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; see 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.
Vocabulary lists containing emollient
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Candide
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, in what would be a major policy shift, he has also said he would take a less emollient tone toward President Trump, whom his predecessor sought to cultivate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Like much of the international community, the Israeli prime minister is waiting to see if Sharaa makes good on his moderate, emollient stance in action as well as words.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2025
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
So, they might want someone more, shall we say, emollient than Florida’s governor.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 24, 2023
This underscored Bush’s esteem for the breadth of Lawrence’s scientific knowledge and his emollient managerial technique.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
