MOLLIFY Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'mollify' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mollify are appease , conciliate , pacify , placate , and propitiate . While all these words mean "to ease the anger or disturbance of," mollify implies soothing hurt feelings or rising anger. // a speech that mollified the demonstrators

Q: When is 'appease' a more appropriate choice than 'mollify'?

The words appease and mollify are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appease implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions. // appease their territorial ambitions

Q: When might 'conciliate' be a better fit than 'mollify'?

The meanings of conciliate and mollify largely overlap; however, conciliate suggests ending an estrangement by persuasion, concession, or settling of differences. // conciliating the belligerent nations

Q: When is it sensible to use 'pacify' instead of 'mollify'?

While in some cases nearly identical to mollify , pacify suggests a soothing or calming. // pacified by a sincere apology

Q: When could 'placate' be used to replace 'mollify'?

In some situations, the words placate and mollify are roughly equivalent. However, placate suggests changing resentment or bitterness to goodwill. // a move to placate local opposition

Q: Where would 'propitiate' be a reasonable alternative to 'mollify'?

The synonyms propitiate and mollify are sometimes interchangeable, but propitiate implies averting anger or malevolence especially of a superior being. // propitiated his parents by dressing up

mollify

verb

ˈmä-lə-ˌfī

Definition of mollify

as in to appease

to lessen the anger or agitation of an apology would probably mollify your friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to alleviate

to make more bearable or less severe a friendly gesture that did a lot to mollify their suspicions about the new neighbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the verb mollify differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mollify are appease, conciliate, pacify, placate, and propitiate. While all these words mean "to ease the anger or disturbance of," mollify implies soothing hurt feelings or rising anger.

a speech that mollified the demonstrators

When is appease a more appropriate choice than mollify?

The words appease and mollify are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appease implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions.

appease their territorial ambitions

When might conciliate be a better fit than mollify?

The meanings of conciliate and mollify largely overlap; however, conciliate suggests ending an estrangement by persuasion, concession, or settling of differences.

conciliating the belligerent nations

When is it sensible to use pacify instead of mollify?

While in some cases nearly identical to mollify, pacify suggests a soothing or calming.

pacified by a sincere apology

When could placate be used to replace mollify?

In some situations, the words placate and mollify are roughly equivalent. However, placate suggests changing resentment or bitterness to goodwill.

a move to placate local opposition

Where would propitiate be a reasonable alternative to mollify?

The synonyms propitiate and mollify are sometimes interchangeable, but propitiate implies averting anger or malevolence especially of a superior being.

propitiated his parents by dressing up

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 mollify The vote was largely symbolic but appeared to mollify the president, who earlier in the day canceled a ceremonial signing of a bipartisan housing bill to exert pressure on the Senate to pass an unrelated election law bill. — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 25 June 2026 Spending too much time on modifying or mollifying faculty — and not enough on student success, including graduation rates — is a cardinal sin for administrators. — Nick Ladany, Forbes.com, 9 June 2026 Or was this a political visit meant to mollify them? — Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 26 May 2026 When presented with a more representative sample of moderate voters, those hard views tend to mollify, the researchers found, as many saw eye-to-eye on several economic and social issues. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for mollify

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mollify

Verb

Growing up, many of us remember dutifully taking a few more bites of protein (and, of course, vegetables) to appease our moms before we were allowed to progress to the sweet, carb-heavy goodness of dessert.

— Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026
Brizé’s latest is about a woman swimming in the turbulent waters of middle management, trying to both appease her superiors and deal with problematic employees who can’t seem to get along.

— Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of appease

Verb

Safety and crowding concerns will continue to plague the uptown jail when Jail North reopens to alleviate conditions, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden warned late Friday.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2026
Major studies show that meditation can alleviate anxiety and depression—at least about as well as the antidepressant Lexapro can, but without the cost and with fewer side effects.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of alleviate

Verb

One of the only ways Cook County can relieve residential property taxes is to grow its tax base by attracting new commercial and industrial taxpayers.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
But each has distinct benefits, with research suggesting that honey can relieve coughs and colds and promote wound healing.

— Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of relieve

Verb

Idzik helped Canales prepare for offensive coordinator interviews when both were in Seattle, then accompanied him to Tampa when Canales landed the OC job with the Buccaneers in 2023.

— Joseph Person, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
The Moon opposes probing Pluto, bringing attention to unfinished tasks, mental clutter, or a habit that no longer helps.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of help

Verb

This practice allows firms to mitigate the effects of sanctions on supply chains and helps shore balance sheets in a high-inflation environment in which cash loses its value but goods do not.

— Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
But not all regions saw a decrease, as late August rains helped mitigate drought conditions.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of mitigate

Verb

What’s Happening Videos of people pouring Epsom salt onto baking sheets, towels or shower floors and stomping barefoot for roughly 10 minutes have racked up views across TikTok, with users claiming the practice eases anxiety and improves sleep.

— Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
But just as being the son of a former governor most likely eased his entry into politics, Sununu is now benefiting from the popularity of his younger brother, Chris, whose eight years as governor ended last year.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of ease

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mollifies

mollify

mollifying

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“Mollify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mollify. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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