pacify

verb

pac·i·fy | \ ˈpa-sə-ˌfī

pacified; pacifying

Definition of pacify

transitive verb

1a : to allay the anger or agitation of : soothe pacify a crying child

b : appease, propitiate tried to pacify the enemy with compromises

2a : to restore to a tranquil state : settle made an attempt to pacify the commotion

b : to reduce to a submissive state : subdue forces moved in to pacify the country

Other Words from pacify Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about pacify

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Choose the Right Synonym for pacify

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

Did You Know?

A parent who wants to win a little peace and quiet might give a fussy baby a pacifier. An employer seeking to avoid worker discontent might pay employees well. These actions may seem unrelated, but, etymologically speaking, they have a lot in common. Both "pacifier" and "pay" are ultimately derived from "pax," the Latin word for "peace." As you may have guessed, "pax" is also the source of our word peace. "Pacify" comes to us through Middle English "pacifien," from the Latin verb pacificare, which derives from "pax."

Examples of pacify in a Sentence

She resigned from her position to pacify her accusers. Their efforts to pacify the nation by force failed. trying to pacify a mob of protesters

Recent Examples on the Web

The union contends Frontier changed its tipping policy to pacify flight attendants who have gone without a raise during more than three years of contract negotiations. — Scott Mccartney, WSJ, "Now Flight Attendants Have to Hustle for Tips," 23 Jan. 2019 This result is unlikely to pacify ardent Brexiteers who hoped to install one of their own, perhaps former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, in the top job. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Theresa May Hangs On," 12 Dec. 2018 The city’s filthy and diseased brothels were to him useful public institutions for pleasuring and pacifying rowdy young men. — Jeffrey Collins, WSJ, "‘Power, Pleasure, and Profit’ Review: Self-Mastery Versus Self-Interest," 5 Oct. 2018 Scoring a tight end to pacify Joe Flacco and a dynamic quarterback to replace him was one of the savvier draft day hauls in recent memory. — Conor Orr, SI.com, "AFC North Offseason Report Cards: Browns on the Rise, Steelers Vulnerable, Marvin on the Brink, Lamar Jackson Is the X-Factor," 5 June 2018 In the areas that were hardest for the army to pacify, former residents and monitoring groups report a rising tide of arrests. — Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, "Syria’s army is on a path to victory after ousting rebels from Damascus," 26 May 2018 In the short term, this was likely meant to pacify whichever American women aren’t protesting his nomination yet. — Megan Angelo, Glamour, "The Kavanaugh Hearings, Day 4: 7 Unanswered Questions We Still Have About Brett Kavanaugh," 7 Sep. 2018 Ramzan Kadyrov, a Chechen warlord who has pacified the restive Muslim region on Moscow’s orders at the cost of hundreds of alleged extrajudicial killings, got to parade Egypt’s soccer star Mohamad Salah in the stadium of regional capital Grozny. — Anatoly Kurmanaev, WSJ, "World Cup Gives Putin’s Policies a Global Stage," 13 June 2018 In other words, the deal in Berlin may not pacify the CSU and risks unleashing precisely the domino effect of unilateral actions that Mrs Merkel most feared. — The Economist, "Angela Merkel’s flawed deal on migrants," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pacify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.