soothing

[ soo-th ing ]

/ ˈsu ðɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR soothing ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

that soothes: a soothing voice.

tending to assuage pain: a soothing cough syrup.

Nearby words

sooterkin, sooth, soothe, soothfast, soothfastly, soothing, soothingly, soothly, soothsay, soothsayer, soothsaying

Origin of soothing

First recorded in 1590–1600; soothe + -ing²

Related forms

sooth·ing·ly, adverbsooth·ing·ness, nouno·ver·sooth·ing, adjectiveo·ver·sooth·ing·ly, adverb

self-sooth·ing, adjectiveun·sooth·ing, adjectiveun·sooth·ing·ly, adverb

Definition for soothing (2 of 2)

soothe

[ sooth ]

/ suð /

verb (used with object), soothed, sooth·ing.

to tranquilize or calm, as a person or the feelings; 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 soothing influence; bring tranquillity, calm, ease, or comfort.

Origin of soothe

before 950; Middle English sothen to verify, Old English sōthian, equivalent to sōth sooth + -ian infinitive suffix; Modern English sense shift “to verify” > “to support (a person's statement)” > “to encourage” > “to calm”

SYNONYMS FOR soothe

2 alleviate, appease, mollify.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR soothe ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR soothe

1 upset, roil.

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Related formssooth·er, nounself-soothed, adjectiveun·soothed, adjective

Synonym study

1. See comfort, allay.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for soothing

Until Levonuk reappeared an hour later wielding the soothing stuff at another Giant store 20 minutes away.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With its exquisite landscapes, birds-eye view and soothing cinematic music, Drone Boning makes sex look like art.
Anatomy of a Drone Porn: ‘Drone Boning’ Makes Sex Look Like Art|Aurora Snow|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This was a soothing thought until I made the connection: my family had chosen to go on vacation without me.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’|Eileen Cronin|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But from the quiet solitude of small-town New England, Dr. Anderson would offer a soothing late-night phone call or Skype session.
My Therapist Dumped Me|Lizzie Crocker|April 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Then in a kind and soothing murmur he ran over the important points with Vance, who stood like one stunned.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At all times he had a soothing word, and a kind pat, for every one of them.
Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 697|Various
He will make the dose more palateable by soothing their wounded pride.
The Greville Memoirs (Third Part) Volume I (of II)|Charles Cavendish Fulke Greville
Until the diagnosis is thoroughly established, soothing applications, such as are employed in acute eczema, are to be advised.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin|Henry Weightman Stelwagon
He described the loveliness of unity and courtesy, in soft, soothing tones.
Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and Travels, Vol. I (of 2)|Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
He goes home to his sisters and his aunts, and to all the soothing wholesomeness of English country life.
An American at Oxford|John Corbin

British Dictionary definitions for soothing (1 of 2)

soothing

/ (ˈsuːðɪŋ) /

adjective

having a calming, assuaging, or relieving effect

Derived Formssoothingly, adverbsoothingness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for soothing (2 of 2)

soothe

/ (suːð) /

verb

(tr) to make calm or tranquil

(tr) to relieve or assuage (pain, longing, etc)

(intr) to bring tranquillity or relief

Derived Formssoother, noun

Word Origin for soothe

C16 (in the sense: to mollify): from Old English sōthian 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

Word Origin and History for soothing (1 of 2)

soothing

adj.

1590s, "flattering," from present participle of soothe. Sense of "mollifying" is from 1746. Related: Soothingly.

Word Origin and History for soothing (1 of 2)

soothe

Old English soðian "show to be true," from soð "true" (see sooth). Sense of "quiet, comfort, mollify" is first recorded 1690s, via notion of "to assuage one by asserting that what he says is true" (i.e. to be a yes-man), a sense attested from 1560s (and cf. Old English gesoð "a parasite, flatterer"). Meaning "reduce the intensity" (of a pain, etc.) is from 1711. Related: Soothed; soothing.

soothing

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of soothing

Definition for soothing (2 of 2)

soothe

verb (used with object), soothed, sooth·ing.

verb (used without object), soothed, sooth·ing.

Origin of soothe

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for soothing

British Dictionary definitions for soothing (1 of 2)

soothing

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for soothing (2 of 2)

soothe

verb

Word Origin for soothe

Word Origin and History for soothing (1 of 2)

soothing

Word Origin and History for soothing (1 of 2)

soothe