soothe
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to make calm or tranquil
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(tr) to relieve or assuage (pain, longing, etc)
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(intr) to bring tranquillity or relief
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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soothesimple
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soothessimple
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have soothedperfect
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has soothedperfect
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am soothingprogressive
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are soothingprogressive
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is soothingprogressive
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have been soothingperfect progressive
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has been soothingperfect progressive
Past
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soothedsimple
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had soothedperfect
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was soothingprogressive
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were soothingprogressive
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had been soothingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of soothe
First recorded before 950; Middle English sothen “to bear witness, confirm, verify,” Old English sōthian “to prove true”; the Modern English sense shift “to verify” becomes “to support (a person's statement),” then “to encourage,” and finally “to calm”; see origin at sooth
Compare meaning
How does soothe compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
To soothe is to relieve or to bring comfort. If the pounding in your head is driving you mad, it sounds like you might need an aspirin or two to soothe your headache. Soothing is meant to make you feel better, both physically and emotionally. Spend too many hours on the beach without sunblock? You'll need some aloe to soothe that sunburn. Had a bad breakup with a boyfriend? Soothing that broken heart might take something stronger — chocolates, a gabfest with good friends, and sappy movies are usually just what the doctor ordered.
Vocabulary lists containing soothe
Comfy Cozy Lingo
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Motherlode: A Mother's Day Lexicon
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"The People Could Fly," Vocabulary from the folk tale
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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.
When she’s anxious, I can soothe her with classical music or a prerecorded voice note.
From Slate • Jun. 20, 2026
Suddenly Carlini—the skeptic-turned-believer who had rung alarm bells—found himself working to soothe the government’s nerves.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
Nothing is more sublime than transitioning from Jimin’s penetrating vocals of “You know how we do!” on “2.0” directly to the deep reverberations of the ancient bell that soothe and reset.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
With such low expectations heading into the meeting, even underwhelming results appear to be enough to soothe investors for now.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Osiander’s preface certainly didn’t soothe the Lutherans, and the book was roundly condemned by the European protestant movement.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
