mollify

[ mol-uh-fahy ]

verb (used with object)

, mol·li·fied, mol·li·fy·ing.

1. to soften in feeling or temper, as a person; pacify; appease.
2. to mitigate or reduce; soften:

   to mollify one's demands.

mollify

/ ˈmɒlɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to pacify; soothe
2. to lessen the harshness or severity of

Derived Forms

• ˈmolliˌfiable, adjective
• ˈmolliˌfier, noun
• ˌmollifiˈcation, noun

Other Words From

• mol·li·fi·ca·tion [mol-, uh, -fi-, key, -sh, uh, n], noun
• mol·li·fi·er noun
• mol·li·fy·ing·ly adverb
• mol·li·fi·a·ble adjective
• re·mol·li·fy verb (used with object) remollified remollifying
• un·mol·li·fi·a·ble adjective
• un·mol·li·fy·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mollify¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French mollifier, from Late Latin mollificāre, equivalent to Latin molli(s) “soft” + -ficāre -fy

Word History and Origins

Origin of mollify¹

C15: from Old French mollifier, via Late Latin, from Latin mollis soft + facere to make

Example Sentences

We’re in our own heads that there’s some kind of nuanced position that would mollify him.

From Washington Blade

Snow to aid in acutely easing droughtWhile the snow will prove a headache for some, it’s a welcome source of aid in somewhat mollifying the ongoing drought.

From Washington Post

To mollify Knight, Nelson occasionally wore a lab coat over her clothes, which he viewed as necessary because, he said, “I don’t think it’s good for me to see her wearing things that accentuate her body.”

From Time

Last year ProPublica wrote about the world of work-at-home customer service, spotlighting a largely unseen industry that helps brand-name companies shed labor costs by outsourcing the task of mollifying unhappy customers.

From ProPublica

For $62,500, the county could move the statue and just maybe satisfy — or at least mollify — all sides.

From Washington Post

Other students argue that the discovery of remains cannot fully mollify public consciousness surrounding the case.

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

So Obama was sending out Biden to further mollify the gay community without having to actually take a stand himself.

From The Daily Beast

Meanwhile the Athenian and Rhodian envoys got hold of the consul and tried by ingenious arguments to mollify his anger.

From Project Gutenberg

This, of course, did not tend to mollify the spirit of the man to whom it was written, or to make him gracious towards his wife.

From Project Gutenberg

This treatise was presented to Prince Maurice; but it did not mollify the indignation he had conceived against the Remonstrants.

From Project Gutenberg

We shall see if this will mollify the tone of the Times which ill-treated poor Lord Grey shamefully yesterday morning.

From Project Gutenberg

His explanation that he was Bellerophon, the stick Pegasus, and the cats the three heads of the Chimra failed to mollify me.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• allay
• alleviate
• ameliorate
• appease
• assuage
• blunt
• lessen
• lull
• mitigate
• pacify
• placate
• quell
• relieve
• temper