assuage

as·suage

transitive verb \ə-ˈswāj also -ˈswāzh or -ˈswäzh\

as·suagedas·suag·ing

Definition of ASSUAGE

1

: to lessen the intensity of (something that pains or distresses) : ease <unable to assuage their grief>

2

: pacify, quiet <vainly strove … to assuage an implacable foe — Edward Gibbon>

3

: to put an end to by satisfying : appease, quench <assuaging his thirst>

— as·suage·ment \-mənt\ noun

Examples of ASSUAGE

1. He couldn't assuage his guilt over the divorce.
2. <a mother cooing to her toddler and assuaging his fear of the dark>
3. Life contains sorrows that cannot be assuaged, and it is important to be honest in acknowledging this. —Jo McGowan, Commonweal, 5 May 2006
4. But for the second exam, my pretest diet included yogurt and ice cream (without pieces), which assuaged my hunger, and the cleansing was stimulated by a glass of salty liquid midafternoon. —Jane E. Brody, New York Times, 12 July 2005
5. Whatever arrangements such mothers willingly make for their children, whatever strategies they employ to relieve their guilt, whatever books they read to assuage their anxiety—all of that is their business, not mine. —Caitlin Flanagan, Atlantic, March 2004
6. As I've told Jody on numerous occasions, the best way for her to assuage my guilt is to hit it big in the Internet gold rush and then retire … —Matthew Miller, New Republic, 17 Jan. 2000

Origin of ASSUAGE

Middle English aswagen, from Anglo-French asuager, from Vulgar Latin *assuaviare, from Latin ad- + suavis sweet — more at sweet

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to ASSUAGE

Synonyms

allay, alleviate, help, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe

Antonyms

aggravate, exacerbate

Related Words

abate, lighten, moderate, soften, temper; cure, heal, remedy; amend, correct, emend, fix, mend, rectify, reform, repair; ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

Near Antonyms

harm, hurt, impair, injure; heighten, intensify, sharpen

See Synonym Discussion at relieve

Rhymes with ASSUAGE

backstage, birdcage, broad-gauge, coon's age, dark age, downstage, encage, engage, enrage, forestage, front-page, greengage, ice age, Iron Age, new age, offstage, onstage, outrage, presage, rampage, rib cage, road rage, roll cage, soundstage, space-age, substage, teenage, thrust stage, uncage, upstage