Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

placate

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of placate

to lessen the anger or agitation of
  • attempted to placate the screaming child by offering him a cookie
Synonyms of placate

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

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 of placate

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 placate

anger, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, ire, madden, outrage

Synonym Discussion of placate

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 placate

  1. See words that rhyme with placate Dictionary: Definition of placate Spanish Central: Translation of placate Nglish: Translation of placate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of placate for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up placate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

WORD OF THE DAY

prestigious

esteemed in general opinion

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. feckless Former RNC chair derides Trump

  2. emergency, national emergency Trump declares crisis over wall

  3. apoplectic Bezos writes post about Pecker

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games