1
: an unctuous adhesive substance for application to wounds or sores
2
: a remedial or soothing influence or agency
a salve to their hurt feelings
salved; salving
1
: to remedy (something, such as disease) with or as if with a salve
Examples of salve in a Sentence
Verb (1)
attempting to salve her conscience, she anonymously sent the store a sum of cash sufficient to cover the merchandise she had shoplifted
Recent Examples on the Web
Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Week 7’s two Monday games saw the Detroit Lions comfortably handle the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seahawks outlast the Houston Texans to provide a small salve to Seattle sports fans.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 29 July 2025
Many want to salve their wounds and prepare for the battles ahead with generational change.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for salve
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Noun
Antonoff spoke about how touring around the country acts as another salve to the current political turmoil, even as artists get front-row seats to how the nation is changing.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Week 7’s two Monday games saw the Detroit Lions comfortably handle the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seahawks outlast the Houston Texans to provide a small salve to Seattle sports fans.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
As such, a deal for Watkins would be a sensible rather than spectacular move to salve the club’s goalscoring woes.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 29 July 2025
Many want to salve their wounds and prepare for the battles ahead with generational change.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for salve
Cite this Entry
“Salve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salve. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
salve
1 of 2 noun
ˈsav 
ˈsȧv
: a healing ointment
salve
2 of 2 verb
salved; salving
: to ease or soothe with or as if with a salve
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