palliate

verb

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pal·li·ate | \ ˈpa-lē-ˌāt

palliated; palliating

Definition of palliate

transitive verb

1 : to reduce the violence of (a disease) also : to ease (symptoms) without curing the underlying disease drugs to palliate the pain

2 : to cover by excuses and apologies tried to palliate his blunder

3 : to moderate the intensity of trying to palliate the boredom did nothing to palliate the bitter disputes

Other Words from palliate Synonyms Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn More About palliate

Other Words from palliate

palliation \ ˌpa-lē-ˈā-shən

\ noun

palliator \ ˈpa-lē-ˌā-tər

\ noun

Did you know?

Long ago, the ancient Romans had a name for the cloak-like garb that was worn by the Greeks (distinguishing it from their own toga); the name was pallium. In the 15th century, English speakers modified the Late Latin word palliatus, which derives from pallium, to form palliate. Our term, used initially as both an adjective and a verb, never had the literal Latin sense referring to the cloak you wear, but it took on the figurative "cloak" of protection. Specifically, the verb palliate meant (as it still can mean) "to lessen the intensity of a disease." The related adjective palliative describes medical care that focuses on relieving pain or discomfort rather than administering a cure.

Examples of palliate in a Sentence

treatments that can palliate the painful symptoms of the disease don't try to palliate your constant lying by claiming that everybody lies

Recent Examples on the Web The friends are teen-agers, both outcasts of a kind, lonely and looking for ways to palliate their solitude. — The New Yorker, 2 May 2022 Those would likely be limited to economic benefits to palliate the loss of crops and revenues for farmers. — Emilio Morenatti, ajc, 13 Feb. 2022 In an effort to palliate these advocates, legislators offered a work-around, passing legislation to relax the restrictions on bail funds, allowing them to post higher bails and to bail out people facing Class-A felony charges. — Nick Pinto, The New Republic, 6 Apr. 2020 And growing evidence of its propensity to palliate pain and nausea fueled the push for medical marijuana. — Special To The Oregonian, OregonLive.com, 12 Dec. 2017

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