soothe

verb

\ˈsüt͟h

soothed; soothing

Definition of soothe

transitive verb

1 : to please by or as if by attention or concern : placate

2 : relieve, alleviate soothe a cough

3 : to bring comfort, solace, or reassurance to music soothes the soul

intransitive verb

: to bring peace, composure, or quietude

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Examples of soothe in a Sentence

The waiter tried to soothe the angry customer. This cream soothes aching muscles. Her nerves were soothed by a warm bath. Nothing can soothe their pain.

Recent Examples on the Web

The companies also encouraged the belief that menthols were soothing and had a medicinal effect. — Jennifer Maloney And Tom Mcginty, WSJ, "FDA Seeks Ban on Menthol Cigarettes," 15 Nov. 2018 The White House’s fraught balancing act was on display Monday during the afternoon press briefing – the first in nearly a month — where press secretary Sarah Sanders alternately sought to soothe national divisions and to inflame them. — Josh Dawsey, The Seattle Times, "Trump, aides struggle to balance midterm politics with empathy after synagogue massacre," 30 Oct. 2018 Ah, there's something so soothing about getting out of bed and putting your feet on a wildly plush carpet. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Poll: Which '90s Home Trends Do You Wish Would Never Come Back?," 25 Oct. 2018 Even strawberry ice cream would arouse no latent anarchistic tendencies, while vanilla or peach would be soothing to the very reddest of the Reds. — Linda Rodriguez Mcrobbie, BostonGlobe.com, "How ice cream made America," 30 June 2018 There was something psychically soothing about that. — Matthew Kassel, New York Times, "Letter of Recommendation: Celsius," 28 Feb. 2018 In addition to body-soothing mud and Dead Sea bath salts, the brand also makes potent anti-aging products, masks, and cleansers that are seriously underrated. — Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why the Dead Sea Should Be at the Top of Every Beauty Junkie's Travel List," 5 Sep. 2018 If the home itself isn’t enough to soothe you, why not take a splash in the pool? — Alex Bazeley, Curbed, "Moby’s midcentury gem outside NYC hits the market for $1.3M," 24 July 2018 Afterward, grab a nerve-soothing nightcap at the Omni Parker House, where the barkeeps are usually willing to put up with some questioning about the hotel’s supernatural residents. — BostonGlobe.com, "30 great dates in Boston and beyond," 22 Mar. 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near soothe

Statistics for soothe

Last Updated

4 Dec 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for soothe

The first known use of soothe was in 1617

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More Definitions for soothe

soothe

verb

English Language Learners Definition of soothe

: to cause (someone) to be calmer, less angry, etc.

: to cause (a part of the body) to feel better

: to cause (pain) to go away or become less severe

See the full definition for soothe in the English Language Learners Dictionary

soothe

verb

\ˈsüt͟h

soothed; soothing

Kids Definition of soothe

1 : to please by praise or attention The waiter tried to soothe the angry customer.

2 : relieve sense 1 Lotion will soothe your sunburn.

3 : to calm down : comfort Papa was trying to soothe Mama, who was wheezing heavily from asthma and excitement.— George Selden, The Cricket in Times Square