Definition of ASSUAGE

Choose the Right Synonym for 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. 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

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.

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 on the Web

British officials who expressed fear about unwittingly arming enemies with British guns were routinely assuaged by the logic that greater scruple would merely forfeit profit and influence to the French or the Dutch. — Priya Satia, The New Republic, "What Mass Shootings and Big Data Have in Common," 10 May 2018 But first, there would need to be plenty of questions answered, and plenty of concerns assuaged. — Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, "Partners, Harvard Pilgrim talks indicate merger mania in health care," 4 May 2018 Following a slew of training from a variety of experts, Zuckerberg apparently assuaged some concerns of Facebook investors as the company’s stock jumped over the course of the Senate hearing, closing at $165 a share, or up 4.5%. — Natasha Bach, Fortune, "Mark Zuckerberg's Net Worth Skyrocketed $3 Billion During His Senate Testimony and Could Rise Again Today," 11 Apr. 2018 Any Nafta renegotiation, which could assuage some of these unionists’ concerns, feels farther away than before. — Katia Dmitrieva, Bloomberg.com, "In Louisiana, Trump’s Trade War Spooks America’s Biggest Port," 27 June 2018 France, Germany and the United Kingdom -- key signatories to the Iran nuclear deal -- are in the midst of negotiations with the US aimed at assuaging some of Trump's concerns. — Laura Smith-spark, CNN, "Macron opens door to new Iran deal in talks with Trump," 25 Apr. 2018 Gorsuch’s appointment assuaged concerns from the left, yet spoke to the continuity and tradition of the court. — Deanna Paul, Washington Post, "The Supreme Court has faced momentous resignations. Experts say Kennedy’s is unrivaled.," 29 June 2018 His initial uncertainty about his identity is assuaged. — The Economist, "A British traveller’s travelogue," 12 July 2018 Schools are trying to bring teachers up to speed with active-shooter trainings and drills—protocols that can simultaneously assuage and exacerbate fears. — Ashley Lamb-sinclair, The Atlantic, "Teaching While Afraid," 22 Feb. 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.