assuage

1 to make more bearable or less severe a mother cooing to her toddler and assuaging his fear of the dark Synonyms allay, alleviate, help, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, sootheRelated Words abate, lighten, moderate, soften, temper; cure, heal, remedy; amend, correct, emend, fix, mend, rectify, reform, repair; ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refineNear Antonyms harm, hurt, impair, injure; heighten, intensify, sharpenAntonyms aggravate, exacerbate

2 to put a complete end to (a physical need or desire) that huge meal certainly assuaged my hunger Synonyms satisfy, quench, sate, satiate, slakeRelated Words cater (to), gratify, humor, indulge; alleviate, lighten, relieve; cloy, saturate, surfeitNear Antonyms 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 appease, pacify, conciliate, disarm, gentle, mollify, placate, propitiateRelated Words 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, sweetenNear 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; provoke, rouse; harass, harry, persecute, pester; agitate, discomfort, distress, disturb, fret, perturb, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry; affront, insult, offend, slightAntonyms anger, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, ire, madden, outrage