assuage

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

Updated on: 17 Apr 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

—

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

For that reason, bankers are seen as reluctant to let the sale be canceled, although an IPO of the chip unit or other means of fundraising might assuage their concerns.

— takashi mochizuki, WSJ, "The Chips Are Down for Toshiba, Thanks to China," 26 Mar. 2018
If there was any lingering concern about Soler’s offensive improvements, his performance in Sunday’s game against his former team should help to assuage the doubt.

— maria torres, kansascity, "Royals 11, Cubs 9: Soler and Schwindel's bats keep recent power surge alive | The Kansas City Star," 18 Mar. 2018
Since the 1980s, energy companies and even the U.S. government have pointed to coal gasification technology as the panacea that would save the coal industry, produce jobs, revive communities and assuage environmental concerns.

— emily hopkins, Indianapolis Star, "Betting on 'clean coal': Why some see it as a crucial part of our energy future — and some don't," 18 Mar. 2018
His nomination followed recommendations by former secretaries of state Bob Gates and Condoleezza Rice and seemed to assuage nervousness within foreign policy circles about how the tweet-happy Trump would handle foreign affairs.

— james osborne and kevin diaz, San Antonio Express-News, "The long road to Trump’s firing of Rex Tillerson," 13 Mar. 2018
His nomination by Trump followed recommendations by former secretaries of state Bob Gates and Condoleezza Rice and seemed to assuage some nerves about how a president with no experience in public office would handle foreign affairs.

— james osborne, Houston Chronicle, "Former Exxon CEO Tillerson out as secretary of state," 13 Mar. 2018
Marek Hamsik has assuaged fears over his Napoli future and says that his only goal is to bring the Serie A title back to the Stadio San Paolo for the first time since 1990.

— SI.com, "Marek Hamsik Focused on Title Challenge as Napoli Legend Says He Has 'No Doubts' About His Future," 19 Jan. 2018
Funny, really, that Marianne Elliott’s National Theatre production opened Sunday night at the Neil Simon Theatre, a Broadway venue named for the act of laughing to assuage pain.

— chris jones, chicagotribune.com, "Kushner's 'Angels in America' goes from London to Broadway. But where's the power of transformation?," 26 Mar. 2018
Toensing has asked her clients to sign waivers regarding the conflicts, CNN is told by one person familiar with the matter, but that may not be sufficient to assuage the concerns.

— pamela brown, CNN, "DiGenova role on President's legal team in flux," 23 Mar. 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

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.