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Definition of mollify
mollified
;mollifying
From the M-W Editors
mollify was our Word of the Day on 11/06/2016. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Examples of mollify in a Sentence
He tried to mollify his critics with an apology.
All attempts to mollify the extremists have failed.
The landlord fixed the heat, but the tenants still were not mollified.
Recent Examples of mollify from the Web
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But this is, at best, a half-hearted attempt to mollify fears about the DUP’s views on queer people and abortion.
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Separately, Senate leaders included language to mollify Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who has questioned the bill's effect on her constituents who gained insurance under Obamacare's expansion of Medicaid.
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The lessons from LeBron are that championships mollify, thus the ease with the Heat after the 2012 and '13 titles, as well as the lack of immediate drama following the Cavaliers' 2016 title.
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While the F-Pace may have mollified some with a jones for a luxurious Brit with a rear hatch, true wagon aficionados won’t be appeased by a crossover.
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A new political program that Hamas hoped would mollify the West and Arab nations instead underscored its ideological rigidity.
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Even the State Department has done little to mollify Merkel.
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Last week, Greek lawmakers approved economic measures in the hopes of mollifying creditors, including pension cuts, tax hikes and other structural economic reforms.
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The authorities have moved swiftly to mollify residents’ concerns.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mollify'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Mollify, pacify, appease, and placate all mean "to ease the anger or disturbance of," although each implies a slightly different way of pouring oil on troubled waters. Pacify suggests the restoration of a calm or peaceful state, while appease implies the quieting of insistent demands by making concessions; you can appease appetites and desires as well as persons. Placate is similar to appease, but it often indicates a more complete transformation of bitterness to goodwill. Mollify, with its root in Latin mollis, meaning "soft," implies soothing hurt feelings or anger.
Origin and Etymology of mollify
Middle English mollifien, from Middle French mollifier, from Late Latin mollificare, from Latin mollis soft; akin to Greek amaldynein to soften, Sanskrit mṛdu soft, and probably to Greek malakos soft, amblys dull, Old English meltan to melt
Synonym Discussion of mollify
MOLLIFY Defined for English Language Learners
mollify
playDefinition of mollify for English Language Learners
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: to make (someone) less angry : to calm (someone) down
MOLLIFY Defined for Kids
mollify
playDefinition of mollify for Students
mollified
;mollifying
: to soothe in temper or disposition
Learn More about mollify
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See words that rhyme with mollify Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mollify Spanish Central: Translation of mollify Nglish: Translation of mollify for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of mollify for Arabic speakers
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