pacifying 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in relaxing
tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress a pacifying treat of milk and cookies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in appeasing
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility the referee adopted a pacifying tone to try to calm everyone down

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pacifying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pacify
1
as in comforting
to lessen the anger or agitation of the only thing that would pacify the child and end the tantrum was a new toy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subduing
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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 pacifying
Verb
Such tactics have never succeeded in pacifying Iranian society for long. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 That transformed the industry by giving it a clear American base — and by pacifying agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission that had been, under Biden, openly hostile. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Rather than unifying and pacifying a populace, this kind of media encouraged idiosyncratic, extreme views. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 8 Sep. 2025 And without the pacifying force of the Dalai Lama, there will be fewer guardrails to prevent Sino-Tibetan disputes from sliding into intractable ethnic conflict. — Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifying
  1. relaxing
  2. soothing
  3. appeasing
  4. subduing
  5. comforting
  6. conciliatory
  7. conquering
  8. calming
Adjective
  • Diamond Art Diamond art has gained popularity in the crafting community recently for its relaxing, repetitive tasks and professional-looking results.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026
  • That same reporting frames baking as a relaxing alternative to scrolling through social media, a task that demands presence in a way a phone does not.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of relaxing
Adjective
  • The room was modern-rustic, with cedar-plank walls, limestone floors, hunks of Utah rock crystals, and a private back terrace with an outdoor swing overlooking a brook that provides a soothing nocturnal soundtrack.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The formula packs green tea extract for soothing and antioxidant-rich rosehip oil for skin brightening.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of soothing
Verb
  • While this might sound appeasing to some, the Big Ten is not onboard with this idea, sources told OutKick-FOX News and others.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Interest—from both visitors and islanders—is gently shifting away from polishing playboy yachts or appeasing the decadent whims of retirees, to something, well, more real.
    — Jonnie Bayfield, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
Definition of appeasing
Verb
  • Beer that was fresh, full of flavor and aroma, and hadn’t traveled hundreds of miles or been pasteurized subduing the bright flavors.
    — Blaine Callahan, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The drones rip through the hallways scanning for a threat before disorienting a suspect using flashing lights and subduing them using pepper balls or by ramming into their body, the company says.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of subduing
Adjective
  • Elliott was crying, Dorien was comforting, and Joaquin Phoenix came over trying to make conversation.
    — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The production’s winking tone blunts some of the original’s tear-jerking climax, yet its intact happy ending offers a surprisingly comforting vision of survival in an age of constant crises.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of comforting
Adjective
  • Leavitt struck a more conciliatory tone with reporters during a farewell press gaggle on Thursday.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • And before Friday’s game, hours before the casino sighting, Lovullo seemed to strike a conciliatory tone.
    — Marc Carig, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of conciliatory
Verb
  • Speaking of those chickens, Schreiber—whose fear of poultry started as a child, when his hippie parents moved the family to a commune in Canada—seems to be successfully conquering this particular anxiety.
    — Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 10 Sep. 2026
  • John Deacon, Queen The members of Queen were magpies who could throw just about anything, from opera to rockabilly, into their world-conquering arena rock.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of conquering
Adjective
  • The film’s soundtrack, composed of lots of love songs, is like a calming anthem for the Alpha Gang.
    — Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Furnishings made of natural materials and in neutral hues further the calming, immersive feel.
    — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of calming

Browse Nearby Words

pacify
pacifying
pacing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shofar

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All