allay

Synonym Chooser

How is the word allay different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of allay are alleviate, assuage, lighten, mitigate, and relieve. While all these words mean "to make something less grievous," allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

When is it sensible to use alleviate instead of allay?

The synonyms alleviate and allay are sometimes interchangeable, but alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

Where would assuage be a reasonable alternative to allay?

Although the words assuage and allay have much in common, assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

When is lighten a more appropriate choice than allay?

In some situations, the words lighten and allay are roughly equivalent. However, lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

When could mitigate be used to replace allay?

While in some cases nearly identical to allay, mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

When would relieve be a good substitute for allay?

The words relieve and allay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of allay Any apprehension at submerging in the dark was quickly allayed as flashlights pierced the warm, dark water. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2025 The tour is Mamdani’s attempt to allay fears about the unabashedly left-wing candidate. Mark Chiusano, Time, 14 Aug. 2025 Ben Easley, a spokesman with Citizens, allayed any concerns over the discharge by identifying it in an email to IndyStar. Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 4 Aug. 2025 Google’s parent company said its search and cloud computing arms drove 14% revenue growth in Q2 this year, allaying fears that its AI Overview summaries in search results would reduce the value of ads. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for allay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allay
Verb
  • Even so, the £125m British-record fee received for Isak (which the club insist is actually worth £130m to them due to solidarity payments being waived) is an astronomical fee and should alleviate any concerns about the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules for several windows to come.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • That simplifies the process for fans, but probably doesn’t alleviate the sticker shock.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After my long flight home, I was relieved that the late-night visitor turned out to be nothing more than city workers on the job (and their job in this case, while surprising, didn't turn out to be too destructive).
    Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
  • She was placed on a ventilator, and doctors surgically removed a piece of her skull to relieve the pressure, according to The Times.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Supporters argue the task force helped modernize parts of the justice system and address racial disparities.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Under captain Eric Brown, the GB&I team was even instructed not to help opponents search for lost balls.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Markopoulos might include a warm bath or shower, reading a physical book, listening to soothing music, or drinking a caffeine free herbal tea.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The beef is tender, and the broth has that nice aromatic spice that is immediately soothing and associated with a classic beef noodle soup.
    Shindy Chen, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With more passengers than ever traveling with electronic devices, airlines and regulators are increasingly taking measures to mitigate against the risks.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • But local and state leaders say recent measures meant to mitigate waste and fraud in the federal government have made this historically slow process even slower – causing funds already green-lighted by FEMA to sit for months before making their way to the state.
    Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Alcaraz was briefly in a battle against Novak Djokovic, but eased through the third set after taking the second on a tiebreak.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The new rates, intended to streamline processes and compliance while easing the burden on consumers, include tax cuts on various items like apparel and footwear, and narrow down the four tax slabs introduced when GST first rolled out in 2017.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Allay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allay. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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