mollify
[ mol-uh-fahy ]
/ ˈmɒl əˌfaɪ /
verb (used with object), mol·li·fied, mol·li·fy·ing.
to soften in feeling or temper, as a person; pacify; appease.
to mitigate or reduce; soften: to mollify one's demands.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of mollify
1350–1400; Middle English <Middle French mollifier<Late Latin mollificāre, equivalent to Latin molli(s) soft + -ficāre-fy
OTHER WORDS FROM mollify
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for mollify
“Capital” vs. “Capitol”: Do You Know Where You’re Going?
Laying Down The Law On “Sedition” vs. “Treason” vs. “Insurrection” vs. “Coup”
“Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time
“Have” vs. “Has”: When To Use Each One
What Is An Em Dash And How Do You Use It?
What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”?
British Dictionary definitions for mollify
mollify
/ (ˈmɒlɪˌfaɪ) /
verb -fies, -fying or -fied (tr)
to pacify; soothe
to lessen the harshness or severity of
Derived forms of mollify
mollifiable, adjectivemollification, nounmollifier, nounWord Origin for mollify
C15: from Old French mollifier, via Late Latin, from Latin mollis soft + facere to make
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