Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

assuage

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of assuage

1 to make more bearable or less severe
  • a mother cooing to her toddler and assuaging his fear of the dark
Synonyms of assuage

allay, alleviate, ease, help, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe
Words Related to assuage

abate, lighten, moderate, soften, temper

cure, heal, remedy

amend, correct, emend, fix, mend, rectify, reform, repair

ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine
Near Antonyms of assuage

harm, hurt, impair, injure

heighten, intensify, sharpen
Antonyms of assuage

aggravate, exacerbate
2 to put a complete end to (a physical need or desire)
  • that huge meal certainly assuaged my hunger
Synonyms of assuage

quench, sate, satiate, satisfy, slake
Words Related to assuage

cater (to), gratify, humor, indulge

alleviate, lighten, relieve

cloy, saturate, surfeit
Near Antonyms of assuage

arouse, excite, pique, stimulate

tantalize, tease
3 to lessen the anger or agitation of
  • nothing would assuage the angry parent except the prompt dismissal of the teacher who had used corporal punishment without authorization
Synonyms of assuage

appease, conciliate, disarm, gentle, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate
Words Related to assuage

calm, comfort, console, content, hush, quiet, soothe, tranquilize (also tranquillize)

endear (to), ingratiate

delight, gladden, gratify, please

adulate, blarney, flatter, overpraise, soft-soap

quench, sate, satiate, satisfy

cater (to), humor, indulge

blandish, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle

baby, coddle, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil

dulcify, sweeten
Near Antonyms of assuage

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

provoke, rouse

harass, harry, persecute, pester

agitate, discomfort, distress, disturb, fret, perturb, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry

affront, insult, offend, slight
Antonyms of assuage

anger, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, ire, madden, outrage

Synonym Discussion of assuage

relieve, alleviate, lighten, assuage, mitigate, allay mean to make something less grievous. relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.
    • took an aspirin to relieve the pain
alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.
    • the lotion alleviated the itching
lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.
    • good news would lighten our worries
assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.
    • ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat
mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.
    • the need to mitigate barbaric laws
allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.
    • allayed their fears

Learn More about assuage

  1. See words that rhyme with assuage Dictionary: Definition of assuage Spanish Central: Translation of assuage Nglish: Translation of assuage for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up assuage? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

chockablock

very full or close together

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. crosshair Roger Stone posts controversial photo

  2. feckless Former RNC chair derides Trump

  3. emergency, national emergency Trump declares crisis over wall

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games