soothe
- 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.
- to exert a soothing influence; bring tranquillity, calm, ease, or comfort.
Origin of soothe
Synonyms for soothe
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Antonyms for soothe
Related Words for soothe
mitigate, appease, assuage, relieve, soften, alleviate, pacify, mollify, allay, cool, tranquilize, console, help, subdue, lighten, dulcify, quiet, stroke, hush, cheerExamples from the Web for soothe
Contemporary Examples of soothe
They were desperate, and all you could do was to soothe and calm; in every call you tried to get their story, to get them talking.
He did not speak words meant to soothe a “fundamentalist” audience.
“To get up and soothe is not my inclination,” says a defiant Romney.
Working hard to turn heads and soothe nerves is Osmel Sousa.
Or just maybe the occasional pig-out does soothe the soul and make for a happier, healthier individual.
Historical Examples of soothe
Milza endeavoured, in her own artless way, to soothe the distress her words had excited.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
Then would Flossy be ready with her gentle drops of oil to soothe the ruffles.
Ester Ried Yet SpeakingIsabella Alden
Her heart hurt until her hand crept to her side in an effort to soothe it.
Her Father's DaughterGene Stratton-Porter
The man continued to address, to expostulate, to pray, to soothe.
Night and Morning, CompleteEdward Bulwer-Lytton
She was pale and frightened; but she had no other care than to soothe him and get him away, for his own dear sake.
Little DorritCharles Dickens
soothe
- (tr) to make calm or tranquil
- (tr) to relieve or assuage (pain, longing, etc)
- (intr) to bring tranquillity or relief
Word Origin for soothe
Word Origin and History for 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.