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pacify

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of pacify

1 to lessen the anger or agitation of
  • I tried to pacify the crying child.
Synonyms of pacify

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

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

endear (to), ingratiate

delight, gladden, gratify, please

cater (to), humor, indulge

blandish, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle

baby, coddle, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil
Near Antonyms of pacify

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 pacify

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 of pacify

conquer, dominate, overpower, subdue, subject, subjugate, subordinate, vanquish
Words Related to pacify

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, suppress
Near Antonyms of pacify

discharge, emancipate, enfranchise, free, liberate, manumit, release, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter

Synonym Discussion of pacify

pacify, appease, placate, mollify, propitiate, conciliate mean to ease the anger or disturbance of. pacify suggests a soothing or calming.
    • pacified by a sincere apology
appease implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions.
    • appease their territorial ambitions
placate suggests changing resentment or bitterness to goodwill.
    • a move to placate local opposition
mollify implies soothing hurt feelings or rising anger.
    • a speech that mollified the demonstrators
propitiate implies averting anger or malevolence especially of a superior being.
    • propitiated his parents by dressing up
conciliate suggests ending an estrangement by persuasion, concession, or settling of differences.
    • conciliating the belligerent nations

Learn More about pacify

  1. Dictionary: Definition of pacify Spanish Central: Translation of pacify Nglish: Translation of pacify for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pacify for Arabic speakers

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