assuage

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

Updated on: 7 Sep 2017

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

So Bodegas Torres is regrowing these ancestral vines to assuage the wine industry’s looming climate-change crisis.

— matthew sedacca, The Atlantic, "Resurrecting Ancient Wines That Can Survive Climate Change," 17 July 2017
The move assuaged concerns among some traders worried that the Fed has been moving too quickly to raise interest rates despite a slowdown in inflation and the U.S. economy's sluggish growth of just 1.4 percent in the first quarter.

— alex veiga, Philly.com, "Tech stocks help lead Dow to another record," 13 July 2017
To deal with the natural gas shortage (and to assuage fears of future shortages), California regulators mandated that power companies start building a certain amount of battery storage in their grids.

— megan geuss, Ars Technica, "Two energy powerhouses join together to make big, grid-tied batteries," 11 July 2017
Neino spent his 10-day vacation hunched over his laptop in the hotel room, talking to security agencies, assuaging the media, managing his researchers and maintaining the kill switch.

— jill leovy, The Seattle Times, "Unlikely duo pulled the plug on WannaCry cyberattack," 7 July 2017
Still, just having two bodies in the same room may not assuage loneliness either.

— philip chard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Genuine connection, not social media, is the antidote for loneliness," 1 July 2017
His remarks did little to assuage Councilman Cary Moon, who has real estate experience from his own businesses and voted against approving the additional money.

— sandra baker, star-telegram, "Council members square off over low-income housing," 30 June 2017
Concerned followers even questioned his sobriety, given the unusual proclamations — but Musk took the time to respond and assuage concerns about his state of health.

— raisa bruner, Time, "Elon Musk Has Penned an Internet Novella About His Love of Floors," 29 June 2017
This might assuage some senators' concerns that the bill won't protect individuals with pre-existing conditions.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "Will Mitch McConnell’s Big Gamble Backfire?," 22 June 2017

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

Synonyms

allay, alleviate, help, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe

Antonyms

aggravate, exacerbate

Related Words

abate, lighten, moderate, soften, temper; cure, heal, remedy; amend, correct, emend, fix, mend, rectify, reform, repair; ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

Near Antonyms

harm, hurt, impair, injure; heighten, intensify, sharpen

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.