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sooth

American  
[sooth] / suθ /

noun

  1. truth, reality, or fact.

adjective

  1. soothing, soft, or sweet.

  2. true or real.

sooth British  
/ suːθ /

noun

  1. truth or reality (esp in the phrase in sooth )

"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

adjective

  1. true or real

  2. smooth

"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

Other Word Forms

  • soothly adverb

Etymology

Origin of sooth

before 900; Middle English; Old English sōth; cognate with Old Saxon sōth, Old Norse sannr, Gothic sunjis true, Sanskrit sat, sant true, real; akin to is

Compare meaning

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Vocabulary lists containing sooth

"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 1

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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.

A pair of crucial reports economic reports this coming week, on employment and consumer prices in January, could help sooth frayed nerves if they show a stabilizing labor market and steady inflation.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 8, 2026

I’m sure the $2 billion in profit he stands to make will sooth Arte’s fractured ego.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 26, 2022

With much of the world facing travel restrictions and in need of a break from doomscrolling and Netflix, many turned to hobbies as a way to sooth their work-from-home burnout.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2021

Only David could sooth Saul, with his singing and harp-playing.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 21, 2018

But here’s the lucky part — and ’tis pure sooth.

From "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village" by Laura Amy Schlitz

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.