mollify

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

See mollify defined for English-language learners

See mollify defined for kids

mollify was our Word of the Day on 11/06/2016. Hear the podcast!

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

And don’t miss the accompanying review by Sarah Mesle, whose season-long dissatisfaction at the Arya/Sansa relationship is not mollified by Sunday night’s Shocking Twist and the viewer manipulation leading up to it.

— michelle weber, Longreads, "The Rising Seas Are Coming From Inside the House," 30 Aug. 2017
But those additions to mollify conservative members of McConnell’s conference reduced the bill’s support among moderates.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "How Repeal Died—And Could Rise Again," 28 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.

— 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
Moving to the left could mollify the moderates from states that expanded Medicaid, while moving to the right would appease conservatives in the Senate - but also in the House, where any Senate bill would also have to pass.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "McConnell pushes for revised health care bill before Congress breaks Friday," 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

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year