assuage

verb as·suage \ ə-ˈswāj also -ˈswāzh or -ˈswäzh \

Updated on: 14 May 2018

Definition of assuage

assuaged; assuaging

transitive verb

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

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assuagement

play \-mənt\ noun

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Examples of assuage in a Sentence

Life contains sorrows that cannot be assuaged, and it is important to be honest in acknowledging this. —Jo McGowan, Commonweal, 5 May 2006
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
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
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
He couldn't assuage his guilt over the divorce.
a mother cooing to her toddler and assuaging his fear of the dark

Recent Examples of assuage from the Web

Do your soul-searching on your own time, and stop derailing important discussions with your need to assuage your white guilt.

— monique judge, The Root, "‘Not All White People’: A Definitive Disclaimer," 7 May 2018
In an attempt to assuage concerns, Germany has appointed an anti-Semitism commissioner, former diplomat Felix Klein, who starts work next month, but critics say Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has done too little.

— madeline chambers, The Christian Science Monitor, "Thousands of Germans join 'kippa marches' in support of the Jewish community," 25 Apr. 2018
France, Germany and the United Kingdom -- key signatories to the deal -- are in the midst of negotiations with the US aimed at assuaging some of Trump's concerns, but large gaps still remain.

— kevin liptak and jeremy diamond, CNN, "Trump begins state visit with Macron discussing his polls," 24 Apr. 2018
Any skepticism that Czech and Lockwood had in the beginning — isn’t Cazadero too cold to ripen Cab? — was quickly assuaged.

— esther mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "On the far Sonoma coast, distinctive Cabernet comes from an unlikely vineyard," 20 Apr. 2018
My parents pick up on and try to assuage my anxiety.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Walking Through the Past Into New Motherhood," 10 Apr. 2018
But in the end, that concern was evidently assuaged.

— nash jenkins, Time, "Does Rand Paul's Playbook Work?," 25 Apr. 2018
Clueless executives, middle managers, regional operators, and customers had to be assuaged and serviced.

— ian bogost, The Atlantic, "The Dot-Coms Were Better Than Facebook," 13 Apr. 2018
To assuage conservative anger over the spending bill, House Republicans plan to hold a vote this week on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

— deirdre shesgreen, USA TODAY, "Federal deficits projected to rise, surpassing $1 trillion in 2020," 9 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assuage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

assuage Stays Sweet Over Time

Scholars assume that the word assuage derives from assuaviare, a Vulgar Latin term that combines the prefix ad- (to or toward) and the Latin suavis, meaning "sweet," pleasant, or agreeable. (Suavis is also the source of the adjective suave.) To assuage is to sweeten or make agreeable or tolerable, and it is far from the only English word for relieving or softening something difficult. Others include allay, alleviate, and mitigate. Allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms, while alleviate implies a temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress. Mitigate suggests moderating or countering the force or intensity of something painful.

Origin and Etymology of assuage

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

assuage Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of assuage

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.