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soothe

[ sooth ]
/ suĂ° /
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See synonyms for: soothe / soothed / soothes / soothing on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), soothed, sooth·ing.
to tranquilize or calm (a person or their emotions); relieve, comfort, or refresh: soothing someone's anger;to soothe someone with a hot drink.
to mitigate, assuage, or allay, as pain, sorrow, or doubt: to soothe sunburned skin.
verb (used without object), soothed, sooth·ing.
to exert a calming influence; bring tranquility, ease, or comfort: a soft-spoken poem that soothes like a lullaby.

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Origin of soothe

First recorded before 950; Middle English sothen “to bear witness, confirm, verify,” Old English sƍthian “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 FROM soothe

soother, nounself-soothed, adjectiveun·soothed, adjective

Words nearby soothe

soonest, Soong, soony, soot, sooth, soothe, soothfast, soothing, soothsay, soothsayer, soothsaying
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to soothe

allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, cool, mitigate, mollify, pacify, relieve, soften, becalm, cheer, compose, console, dulcify, help, hush, lighten, lull, quiet

How to use soothe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for soothe

soothe
/ (suːð) /
verb
(tr) to make calm or tranquil
(tr) to relieve or assuage (pain, longing, etc)
(intr) to bring tranquillity or relief

Derived forms of soothe

soother, noun

Word Origin for soothe

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