soothe

American

[sooth] / suð /

verb (used with object)

soothed, soothing

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
to mitigate, assuage, or allay, as pain, sorrow, or doubt.

to soothe sunburned skin.

Synonyms:

mollify, appease, alleviate

verb (used without object)

soothed, soothing

to exert a calming influence; bring tranquility, ease, or comfort.

a soft-spoken poem that soothes like a lullaby.

soothe British

/ suːð /

verb

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

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It rounds out the gift, soothes the persistent is this enough? anxiety, and keeps the whole endeavor feeling generous without becoming complicated.

From Salon

It’s the reason meal kits feel so soothing — everything ready, nothing frantic, no mid-recipe scavenger hunt for a missing clove of garlic.

From Salon

As soothing wins go, this was a warm bubble bath for the Seahawks, who secured a playoff berth and assumed the driver’s seat in the race for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

From Los Angeles Times

Asian markets rose Friday as a below-forecast read on US inflation boosted hopes for another interest rate cut next month, while blockbuster earnings from chip firm Micron helped soothe nerves over a tech bubble.

From Barron's

Footage of rolling flames is as soothing as the real thing, and without the choking emissions and sooty clean-up.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023