mollify

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verb mol·li·fy \ˈmä-lə-ˌfī\

Definition of mollify

mollified

;

mollifying

transitive verb
1 : to soothe in temper or disposition : appease mollified the staff with a raise
2 : to reduce the rigidity of : soften Shaving cream mollifies the beard.
3 : to reduce in intensity : assuage, temper Time mollified his anger.
intransitive verb
archaic : soften, relent

mollification

play \ˌmä-lə-fə-ˈkā-shən\ noun

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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

Private lobbying by the White House and Senate GOP leaders has not mollified them.

— sean sullivan, Washington Post, "Two more Senate Republicans oppose health-care bill, leaving it without enough votes to pass," 18 July 2017
Private lobbying by the White House and Senate GOP leaders has not mollified them.

— sean sullivan, Washington Post, "Two more Senate Republicans oppose health-care bill, leaving it without enough votes to pass," 18 July 2017
Private lobbying by the White House and Senate GOP leaders has not mollified them.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "GOP agenda in flux amid uncertainty about Sen. John McCain's health," 17 July 2017
But this is, at best, a half-hearted attempt to mollify fears about the DUP’s views on queer people and abortion.

— léa rose emery, Teen Vogue, "This Is What’s at Stake for the LGBTQ Community in the U.K. Right Now," 28 June 2017
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.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Senate leaders try to bolster GOP health-care bill with incentive for consumers," 27 June 2017
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.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Winderman: LeBron James setting up another Decision? | Commentary," 17 June 2017
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.

— davey g. johnson, Car and Driver, "2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake: A Slinky Wagon Headed for the States," 16 June 2017
A new political program that Hamas hoped would mollify the West and Arab nations instead underscored its ideological rigidity.

— Washington Post, "Qatari crisis could spell new trouble for embattled Hamas," 8 June 2017

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.

The Difference Between mollify, appease. and placate

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

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First Known Use: 15th century

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Synonym Discussion of mollify

pacify, appease, placate, mollify, propitiate, conciliate mean to ease the anger or disturbance of. pacify suggests a soothing or calming. pacified by a sincere apology appease implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions. appease their territorial ambitions placate suggests changing resentment or bitterness to goodwill. a move to placate local opposition mollify implies soothing hurt feelings or rising anger. a speech that mollified the demonstrators propitiate implies averting anger or malevolence especially of a superior being. propitiated his parents by dressing up conciliate suggests ending an estrangement by persuasion, concession, or settling of differences. conciliating the belligerent nations