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propitiate was our Word of the Day on 11/14/2010. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of propitiate in a Sentence
He made an offering to propitiate the angry gods.
the temple was once the site of sacrifices—both to honor the gods in times of plenty and to propitiate them in times of trouble
Recent Examples of propitiate from the Web
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Soon after Kuchibhotla’s murder, a commentator in India a grave irony: in the run-up to the 2016 election, a number of right-leaning American Hindus , not only with donations but also with elaborate prayer ceremonies to propitiate the gods.
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In interviews, the inhabitants complained that rocks being blasted off the mountains were falling on their homes and angering the local neak ta, who had to be propitiated with offerings of roast pigs.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'propitiate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Like its synonym "appease," propitiate means "to ease the anger or disturbance of," but there are subtle differences between the two terms as well. "Appease" usually implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions, whereas "propitiate" tends to suggest averting the anger or malevolence of a superior being. In fact, "propitiate" often occurs - as in our first example sentence - in contexts involving deities, spirits, or other preternatural forces. You might "appease" your hunger, but to speak more colorfully, you could "propitiate the gods of hunger."
Origin and Etymology of propitiate
Latin propitiatus, past participle of propitiare, from propitius propitious
propitiate Synonyms
Near Antonyms
aggravate, annoy, antagonize, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, cross, exasperate, gall, get, grate, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pique, put out, rankle, rile, roil, ruffle, vex;
harass, harry, persecute, pester;
agitate, discomfort, distress, disturb, fret, perturb, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry;
Related Words
calm, comfort, console, content, hush, quiet, soothe, tranquilize (also tranquillize);
delight, gladden, gratify, please;
blandish, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle;
baby, coddle, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil;
Synonym Discussion of propitiate
pacify, appease, placate, mollify, propitiate, conciliate mean to ease the anger or disturbance of. pacify suggests a soothing or calming.
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- pacified by a sincere apology
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- appease their territorial ambitions
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- a move to placate local opposition
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- a speech that mollified the demonstrators
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- propitiated his parents by dressing up
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- conciliating the belligerent nations
PROPITIATE Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of propitiate for English Language Learners
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: to make (someone) pleased or less angry by giving or saying something desired
Learn More about propitiate
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See words that rhyme with propitiate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for propitiate Spanish Central: Translation of propitiate Nglish: Translation of propitiate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of propitiate for Arabic speakers
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