pacifying 1 of 2

adjective

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

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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

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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

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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

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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
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
  • Inferno is immersive and psychedelic but not necessarily in the relaxing way the words usually convey.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026
  • Kate Hudson enjoyed a relaxing beach day with her kids, 7-year-old Rani and 14-year-old Bingham, in Athens, Greece.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Definition of relaxing
Adjective
  • Probiotics balance the scalp biome, biotin is a hero hair growth ingredient, salicylic acid helps exfoliate away oil and dead skin, hyaluronic acid invites moisture, and a range of botanical antioxidants offer a soothing effect.
    — Essence Wiley, InStyle, 15 July 2026
  • The shed had the most spacious of the three bathrooms; there was one other en suite and another hall bath, all of which had a modern and minimalist aesthetic that felt clean and soothing.
    — Dana Kravis, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026
Definition of soothing
Verb
  • There’s been potential discrepancies and a few ballots the machines have declined, but the board has unanimously voted to just make duplicates of those ballots with the same result, appeasing the tabulators.
    — Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 8 July 2026
  • Tauruses usually follow the rules and do what is suggested to thrive and prosper because appeasing others is easier than arguing.
    — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of appeasing
Verb
  • Viewers have already seen glimpses of the premiere, which involves Aang and Katara subduing a sea serpent while guiding refugees across a treacherous path.
    — Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
  • Officers then shot her with a Taser, subduing her enough to take her into custody, police said.
    — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Definition of subduing
Adjective
  • Dishes range from savory and comforting, like the locro quiteño soup made with chola potatoes and topped with crunchy chulpi corn, to bright and refreshing, like the peanutty ceviche popular in the coastal Manabí Province.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
  • The comforting story, that AI will change everyone's job but yours, is the most dangerous thing a manager can believe right now.
    — Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of comforting
Adjective
  • Trump himself seemed to strike a more conciliatory tone when returning from the summit.
    — Tiago Ventura, Time, 9 July 2026
  • Trump reverses on housing bill Republican senators were eager for a conciliatory meeting with the president after escalating tensions in recent weeks.
    — Mary Clare Jalonick, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of conciliatory
Verb
  • After not allowing any home runs in back-to-back starts against the Colorado Rockies, even conquering Coors Field’s hitter-friendly park, Imanaga surrendered three in Wednesday’s Game 2 win over the New York Mets.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
  • Olivia Rodrigo Finally Hits the Downloads Chart’s Summit Rodrigo has come very close to conquering the Official Album Downloads chart in the past, but her first two studio LPs missed the throne by just one space.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of conquering
Adjective
  • Choose calming, barrier-supportive ingredients – Soothing serums and creams can help to interrupt the inflammatory cascade, especially for those with sensitive skin.
    — Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026
  • Across America charms — all four of my rides last week ended in audience applause — by simply being a calming, relaxed journey that stokes our sense of adventure.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of calming

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Cite this Entry

“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pacifying for Spanish Speakers

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