PACIFYING Synonyms: 245 Similar and Opposite Words

pacifying 1 of 2

adjective

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

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

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

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

Adjective

Expansive exterior decks and a generous flybridge create space for entertaining, relaxing, or even exercising in the great outdoors.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026
Tushy Fresh Dual-Nozzle Bidet Offering easy installation, this bidet with a no-frills interface has some relaxing perks (including a heated water option) without too many extra knobs and levers.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of relaxing

Adjective

For sensitive or dry underarms, the deodorant also uses a soothing blend of shea butter, spirulina, and niacinamide to keep pits comfortable all day long.

— Madison San Miguel, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026
On the upside, the villas are one of the more soothing spots for a mild hangover.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of soothing

Verb

The bill now also includes a compromise on stablecoin yield aimed at appeasing banking interests by directing the Treasury secretary to restrict rewards if deposit flight from community banks occurs on a substantial scale.

— Garrett Downs, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
In 1938, British, French, German and Italian leaders concluded the Munich Agreement, which was aimed at appeasing Adolf Hitler by allowing Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of appeasing

Verb

The school's head teacher, Krzysztof Ochmanski, was injured while subduing the teenager, officials said.

— James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
The handful of Israeli passengers grappled with the copilot for several minutes before subduing him and binding his hands with the cord from a set of headphones.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of subduing

Adjective

And there’s something very comforting about going back to those things of our youth that were simpler than things are now — in our personal lives or the world at large.

— Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
Those were the comforting words Vision privately offered Wanda in Age of Ultron after her brother Pietro died.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of comforting

Adjective

For her part, the polarizing Molokoane — who has faced calls for her resignation from industry bodies — struck a conciliatory tone in Durban.

— Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Still, his conciliatory tone in Munich came as a relief to European officials after Vice President JD Vance had used the same stage a year earlier to sharply rebuke the continent's leaders.

— Olivia Gazis, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of conciliatory

Verb

Before conquering Hollywood, Ali played Division I basketball (standing at six feet four) and released rap albums under the name Prince Ali.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
During the talk, Bardem reflected on a glittering career, from his early life growing up in one of Spain’s most prestigious acting families to winning an Oscar and, this year, finally conquering his fear of the stage.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of conquering

Browse Nearby Words

pacify

pacifying

pacing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of pacifying

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes