mollify

[mol-uh-fahy]

See more synonyms for mollify on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of mollify

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French mollifier < Late Latin mollificāre, equivalent to Latin molli(s) soft + -ficāre -fy

Related formsmol·li·fi·ca·tion, nounmol·li·fi·er, nounmol·li·fy·ing·ly, adverbmol·li·fi·a·ble, adjectivere·mol·li·fy, verb (used with object), re·mol·li·fied, re·mol·li·fy·ing.un·mol·li·fi·a·ble, adjectiveun·mol·li·fied, adjectiveun·mol·li·fy·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for mollify

Contemporary Examples

Meanwhile, on Friday, Holder made a round of calls to Capitol Hill in an attempt to mollify concerned lawmakers.
Holder’s Regrets and Repairs
Daniel Klaidman
May 28, 2013
The appointments of Al-Sisi and Mekki are no doubt intended to mollify such concerns.
Is Morsy Staging or Reversing a Coup?
Hussein Ibish
August 13, 2012
He was actually soft as mush, straining to mollify Hispanics without roiling his own nativist base.
Immigration Could Sink Mitt Romney Regardless of Supreme Court Rulings
Robert Shrum
June 26, 2012
Obama moved to mollify them, although how well it worked is unclear; both Dunn and Romer have since left the administration.
9 Juicy Bits from Ron Suskind’s Book
David A. Graham
September 20, 2011
And perhaps most important, to deflect criticism and mollify opponents with politesse and wit.
GOP's New Foreign Affairs Chair Ready to Play Hardball
Sandra McElwaine
February 20, 2011

Historical Examples

At first I had been suspicious; it might have been put on to mollify me.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer
The boys who bully him will mollify toward him and accept his pie and sweetmeats.
The Ontario High School Reader
A.E. Marty
Conscious they deserved a scolding, they sent Josephine down first to mollify.
White Lies
Charles Reade
The boys who bully him will mollify towards him, and accept his pie and sweetmeats.
The Christmas Books
William Makepeace Thackeray
We concluded the best policy, would be to prepare a feast to mollify them.
Sioux Indian Courts
Doane Robinson

British Dictionary definitions for mollify

mollify

verb -fies, -fying or -fied (tr)

to pacify; soothe
to lessen the harshness or severity of

Derived Formsmollifiable, adjectivemollification, nounmollifier, noun

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for mollify

v.

late 14c., "to soften (a substance)," from Old French mollifier or directly from Late Latin mollificare "make soft, mollify" from mollificus "softening," from Latin mollis "soft" (see melt (v.)) + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Transferred sense of "soften in temper, appease, pacify" is recorded from early 15c. Related: Mollified; mollifying.

mollify

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}mollify

Examples from the Web for mollify

Contemporary Examples

Meanwhile, on Friday, Holder made a round of calls to Capitol Hill in an attempt to mollify concerned lawmakers.

The appointments of Al-Sisi and Mekki are no doubt intended to mollify such concerns.

He was actually soft as mush, straining to mollify Hispanics without roiling his own nativist base.

Obama moved to mollify them, although how well it worked is unclear; both Dunn and Romer have since left the administration.

And perhaps most important, to deflect criticism and mollify opponents with politesse and wit.

Historical Examples

At first I had been suspicious; it might have been put on to mollify me.

The boys who bully him will mollify toward him and accept his pie and sweetmeats.

Conscious they deserved a scolding, they sent Josephine down first to mollify.

The boys who bully him will mollify towards him, and accept his pie and sweetmeats.

We concluded the best policy, would be to prepare a feast to mollify them.

mollify

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for mollify

v.

Origin of mollify