soothe
[ sooth ]
/ suð /
verb (used with object), soothed, sooth·ing.
to tranquilize or calm, as a person or the feelings; relieve, comfort, or refresh: soothing someone's anger; to soothe someone with a hot drink.
to mitigate, assuage, or allay, as pain, sorrow, or doubt: to soothe sunburned skin.
verb (used without object), soothed, sooth·ing.
to exert a soothing influence; bring tranquillity, calm, ease, or comfort.
Nearby words
Origin of soothe
before 950; Middle English sothen to verify, Old English sōthian, equivalent to sōth sooth + -ian infinitive suffix; Modern English sense shift “to verify” > “to support (a person's statement)” > “to encourage” > “to calm”
Related formssooth·er, nounself-soothed, adjectiveun·soothed, adjective
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for soothe
British Dictionary definitions for soothe
soothe
/ (suːð) /
verb
(tr) to make calm or tranquil
(tr) to relieve or assuage (pain, longing, etc)
(intr) to bring tranquillity or relief
Derived Formssoother, noun
Word Origin for soothe
C16 (in the sense: to mollify): from Old English sōthian to prove; related to Old Norse sanna to assert; see sooth
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for soothe
soothe
Old English soðian "show to be true," from soð "true" (see sooth). Sense of "quiet, comfort, mollify" is first recorded 1690s, via notion of "to assuage one by asserting that what he says is true" (i.e. to be a yes-man), a sense attested from 1560s (and cf. Old English gesoð "a parasite, flatterer"). Meaning "reduce the intensity" (of a pain, etc.) is from 1711. Related: Soothed; soothing.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper