soothe
Americanverb (used with object)
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soothes,
present (3rd person singular)
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soothed,
past participle, past
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soothing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
soothes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
soothed,
past participle, past
-
soothing
present participle
verb
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(tr) to make calm or tranquil
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(tr) to relieve or assuage (pain, longing, etc)
-
(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
-
had soothedperfect
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was soothingprogressive
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were soothingprogressive
-
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
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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.
See Examples For:
“Laughter is something we engage in to soothe us,” she explained.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
The Financial Times has focused on an upcoming speech from US Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh, where he is expected to attempt to "soothe investors' nerves" as signs of economic strain mount.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
She also grows oregano and lemongrass, with which she brews into a tea to soothe stomach issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
"Anthropomorphic AI can soothe loneliness," said Chen Liang of the Southwest University of Political Science and Law in a commentary published by the CAC after a draft version of China's rules was published in April.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Alys watched her, and knew that the herbs in the mug would soothe the panic that had afflicted her, that soon she would calm and likely sleep for a bit.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
"The ceasefire definitely soothes our nerves, hoping it stays this way. The crew is finally taking a breather," an off-duty captain of a ship, whose crew is stranded off Qatar, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
In other words, it soothes the burning sensation that endurance athletes experience in their muscles when they are pushing themselves to the limit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
Her daughter would laugh and say, “Because it soothes her.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2025
Even when that order is part of America itself, individual heroism soothes the audience with the promise that the world’s wrongs can be righted with enough derring-do.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2024
“No. But it soothes him. You must talk to him a lot. And you must learn his language.”
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
I have always slept better in apartment buildings than in silent houses, soothed by footsteps overhead and doors closing somewhere down the hall.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
That stance soothed the market’s angst, but industry observers are still watching to see how DSI carries out its mandate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
But there was a roughly 38% chance of a hike — up from closer to 13% a week ago, when cooler inflation data for June soothed worries over rate increases.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 26, 2026
Using every tool at his disposal — namely his violins, guitars, looping machine and expressive voice — Bird created a whirling one-man-band effect that somehow awed and soothed the crowd in equal measure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
For a moment it crossed her mind that if she humiliated herself to him, knelt down on her stiff old knees to plead for mercy, he might be soothed.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
In another 2013 study, Swedish researchers found that singing has a biologically soothing effect, especially on cardiovascular function.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
For the uninitiated, a sound bath is where a practitioner plays crystal or Tibetan sound bowls, gongs and chimes in a soothing way.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
In lieu of suspensions, administrators invite offenders to reflect in a soothing place on the feelings and trauma that led them, say, to hit another student or disobey a teacher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
It was a soothing and relaxed space that suggested fun on the horizon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Calm down, Bat,” Mom said in her soothing voice, the one she saved for when Bat was getting really upset.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
