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

Example Sentences

The announcement soothed investor concerns following months of uncertainty over the progress of negotiations.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Calm down, Bat,” Mom said in her soothing voice, the one she saved for when Bat was getting really upset.

From Literature

As we headed upriver along the Volta it was soothing to look out the window and see the sun bounce off its ripples.

From Literature

The high-profile ads signal a departure from the industry’s previous marketing tone, which largely focused on soothing public anxiety about AI’s potential negative effects on jobs and human connection.

From The Wall Street Journal

“He’ll be a voice of reason, and that will be calming and soothing to the markets.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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