soothe

American  

[sooth] / suð /

verb (used with object)

soothed, soothing

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.

   Antonyms:

   roil, upset

2. to mitigate, assuage, or allay, as pain, sorrow, or doubt.

   to soothe sunburned skin.

   Synonyms:

   mollify, appease, alleviate

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verb (used without object)

soothed, soothing

1. to exert a calming influence; bring tranquility, ease, or comfort.

   a soft-spoken poem that soothes like a lullaby.

soothe British  

/ suːð /

verb

1. (tr) to make calm or tranquil

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

3. (intr) to bring tranquillity or relief

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Related Words

See comfort, allay.

Other Word Forms

• self-soothed adjective
• soother noun
• unsoothed adjective

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”; sooth

Compare meaning

How does soothe compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sooth vs. soothe

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.

Example Sentences

Fortunately for Democrats, Donald Trump has stepped in to soothe their nerves.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

The charitable interpretation of Ms. Cheng’s visit is that her party thinks Taiwan’s best bet is to soothe Mr. Xi and push off a crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was awkwardly dispatched to soothe the financial markets while doubling as a kind of economic war correspondent.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

Grindr, which has been scrutinized for its past handling of sensitive information, including users’ HIV status, has tried to soothe worries about privacy concerns as it goes all-in on AI.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

The wooden animal in your pocket will soothe your fingers, which are simply looking for something to touch.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• allay
• alleviate
• appease
• assuage
• cool
• mitigate
• mollify
• pacify
• relieve
• soften