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

In an effort to allay whipsawing energy markets, Western powers are considering an International Energy Agency proposal for the largest-ever release of oil reserves. —Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 11 Mar. 2026

The material was porous and crumbly, allaying fears that the fuel might’ve fused into a diamond-hard mass impenetrable even to drills. —Yusuke Maekawa, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, sought to allay such fears Sunday at a news conference on the sidelines of China’s annual legislative session in Beijing. —Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 8 Mar. 2026

At the same time Wang tried to allay fears in Europe that China's rise will come at the expense of their core industries. —Jennifer Pak, NPR, 8 Mar. 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
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret
• betray

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