soothe
Americanverb (used with object)
-
soothes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
soothed,
past participle, past
-
soothing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
soothes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
soothed,
past participle, past
-
soothing
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to make calm or tranquil
-
(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
-
soothesimple
-
soothessimple
-
have soothedperfect
-
has soothedperfect
-
am soothingprogressive
-
are soothingprogressive
-
is soothingprogressive
-
have been soothingperfect progressive
-
has been soothingperfect progressive
Past
-
soothedsimple
-
had soothedperfect
-
was soothingprogressive
-
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
Comfy Cozy Lingo
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Motherlode: A Mother's Day Lexicon
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The People Could Fly," Vocabulary from the folk tale
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The Financial Times looks at the Burnham government's "bid to soothe 'public control' anxiety" through "stressing the new administration's desire to attract private capital into key sectors of the economy".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
It had the power to soothe the roughest of sore throats and quiet the phlegmiest of coughs.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
In June, de-escalation helped soothe oil markets, but this month, the ceasefire collapsed and fighting resumed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
When the national mood wobbles, we turn to the arts, which have the power to free buried desires, soothe souls and cross divides.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
There was no solace; and why should a pilgrimage to the place of my friend’s childhood make any difference, fill any absence, soothe any remorse?
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
For 15 years, Roberto Lange, better known artistically as Helado Negro, has been making, beautiful humanistic electronic music that soothes the soul.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
"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
Delta soothes investor fears over the effect of rising oil prices by raising revenue guidance, and the stock surges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
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
He stops fights, ejects drunks, soothes hysteria, cures headaches, and tends bar.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
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
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had pioneered a new brand of comedy, soothed postwar America’s psyche and made a nation laugh again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Maybe having some allies in that moment soothed him.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
While market pricing for an April increase has receded since the U.S. forged a cease-fire with Iran that soothed inflationary fears, market participants still anticipate the BOJ to act in the coming months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
This was what soothed her as she sank deeper under the city.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
It was a soothing and relaxed space that suggested fun on the horizon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
When life gets you down, Danny Palumbo opines, nothing is more soothing than eating a meal prepared with love.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Asian stocks rose Friday as tech firms enjoyed a much-needed reprieve from the heavy selling of recent weeks, with a big miss on US jobs creation soothing worries over a Federal Reserve interest rate hike.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
During the nearly hourlong call, Regan spoke quickly and confidently, detailing his investment strategy and professional credentials—many of them fabricated—in a soothing voice flecked with humor and references to his faith in God.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
“Shhhhh,” he said, as if he were soothing me.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
