allay

verb

al·​lay a-ˈlā 

ə-

allayed; allaying; allays

transitive verb

1

: to subdue or reduce in intensity or severity : alleviate

expect a breeze to allay the heat

2

: to make quiet : calm

trying to allay their fears

intransitive verb

obsolete : to diminish in strength : subside

Synonyms

• alleviate
• assuage
• ease
• help
• mitigate
• mollify
• palliate
• relieve
• soothe

Choose the Right Synonym for allay

relieve, alleviate, lighten, assuage, mitigate, allay mean to make something less grievous.

relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

Examples of allay in a Sentence

The new advertising campaign is an attempt to allay the public's concerns about the safety of the company's products.

a gentle breeze would allay the heat

Recent Examples on the Web

To allay these fears, leaders should be candid about their own mental health challenges. —Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

Global markets rallied Friday after the U.S. jobs data allayed fears of an economic slowdown, although analysts cautioned that the upcoming U.S. presidential election and unrest in the Middle East could keep market volatility elevated in the coming weeks. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2024

In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been trying to allay residents’ concerns in the capital of Budapest. —Niamh Kennedy, CNN, 16 Sep. 2024

Trump allayed these fears in 2016, however, by releasing a list of 11 sitting judges and pledging to choose Supreme Court nominees from this list. —Ian Millhiser, Vox, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English alayen, from Old English ālecgan, from ā- (perfective prefix) + lecgan to lay — more at abide, lay

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Kids Definition

allay

verb

al·​lay a-ˈlā 

ə-

allayed; allaying

1

: to make less severe : relieve

allay pain

2

: to make quiet : calm

allay fears