pacify

1 to lessen the anger or agitation of the only thing that would pacify the child and end the tantrum was a new toy Synonyms appease, assuage, conciliate, disarm, gentle, mollify, placate, propitiate Related 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, sweeten Near 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, slight Antonyms anger, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, ire, madden, outrage

2 to bring under one's control by force of arms additional ground forces were needed to occupy those areas that had already been pacified Synonyms dominate, overpower, conquer, subdue, subject, subjugate, subordinate, vanquishRelated Words annihilate, beat, clobber, crush, defeat, drub, lick, mow (down), overcome, prevail (over), reduce, rout, skunk, smash, thrash, triumph (over), trounce, wallop, whip; enslave; break, clamp down (on), crack down (on), put down, quash, quell, repress, silence, smother, snuff (out), squash, squelch, suppressNear Antonyms discharge, emancipate, enfranchise, free, liberate, manumit, release, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter