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Synonyms

soothing

American  
[soo-thing] / ˈsu ðɪŋ /

adjective

  1. that soothes.

    a soothing voice.

  2. tending to assuage pain.

    a soothing cough syrup.
soothing British  
/ ˈsuːðɪŋ /

adjective

  1. having a calming, assuaging, or relieving effect

"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

Other Word Forms

  • oversoothing adjective
  • oversoothingly adverb
  • self-soothing adjective
  • soothingly adverb
  • soothingness noun
  • unsoothing adjective
  • unsoothingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of soothing

First recorded in 1590–1600; soothe + -ing 2

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.

But she added the "calming and soothing" nature of the game is similar to what she imagined "people get from colouring books or knitting".

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

You might be tempted, with every faraway look in Christian Petzold’s subtly moving “Miroirs No. 3,” to hope for that soothing, enlightened release so often served as catharsis in tales of loss and healing.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Their relative normalcy, and that of fellow marrieds Amber Morrison and Jordan Faeth, is a soothing contrast to the textbook Fusco fiasco and the rest of the season’s red flag bearers.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

Yazid Gray’s soothing baritone made Robin Grace into your all-time-favorite high-school teacher, challenging and supportive at the same time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

“Who would ever suppose that three fierce tygers could make such soothing noises?”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

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.