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 of allay

• alleviate
• relieve
• help
• soothe
• mitigate
• ease

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

That helped allay worries a bit that its stock had grown too expensive after coming into the day with a surge of 267% so far this year. — ABC News, 26 June 2026

That helped allay worries a bit that its stock had grown too expensive after coming into the day with a surge of 267% so far this year. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026

Ahead, find the best wrinkle fillers to flood the skin with hydration, boost collagen production, and deliver other benefits that can allay the return of wrinkles between appointments. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 23 June 2026

Hours before SpaceX began trading, Jim Cramer said that early signs of demand for the IPO looked promising — allaying some of the fears in the market about whether the banks would stick the landing and what the Club had been protecting against all week by making incremental sales to boost our cash. — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 13 June 2026

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

Rhymes for allay

• airway
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

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