allay

verb

al·​lay a-ˈlā How to pronounce allay (audio)
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
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 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 Tom Selby, director of public policy at financial services firm AJ Bell, said Reeves’ speech was unlikely to have allayed concerns over the fiscal challenges ahead. Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2024 Harris quickly allayed those concerns, at least among fellow Democrats. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024 However, what October's Executive Order is mostly aimed at is allaying fears about how the use of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, Microsoft's Copilot and Google's Gemini, could threaten the privacy of U.S. citizens. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for allay 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'allay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of allay was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near allay

Cite this Entry

“Allay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allay. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

allay

verb
al·​lay a-ˈlā How to pronounce allay (audio)
ə-
allayed; allaying
1
: to make less severe : relieve
allay pain
2
: to make quiet : calm
allay fears

More from Merriam-Webster on allay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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