soothe

[ sooth ]
See synonyms for: soothesoothedsoothessoothing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),soothed, sooth·ing.
  1. to tranquilize or calm (a person or their emotions); relieve, comfort, or refresh: soothing someone's anger;to soothe someone with a hot drink.

  2. to mitigate, assuage, or allay, as pain, sorrow, or doubt: to soothe sunburned skin.

verb (used without object),soothed, sooth·ing.
  1. to exert a calming influence; bring tranquility, ease, or comfort: a soft-spoken poem that soothes like a lullaby.

Compare Meanings

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

Origin of soothe

1
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

synonym study For soothe

1. See comfort, allay.

Other words for soothe

Opposites for soothe

Other words from soothe

  • soother, noun
  • self-soothed, adjective
  • un·soothed, adjective

Words Nearby soothe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use soothe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for soothe

soothe

/ (suːð) /


verb
  1. (tr) to make calm or tranquil

  2. (tr) to relieve or assuage (pain, longing, etc)

  1. (intr) to bring tranquillity or relief

Origin of soothe

1
C16 (in the sense: to mollify): from Old English sōthian to prove; related to Old Norse sanna to assert; see sooth

Derived forms of soothe

  • soother, noun

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