1
as in to alleviate
to put a complete end to (a physical need or desire) the players satisfied their hunger after the game with a big pasta dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
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as in to compensate
to provide (someone) with a just payment for loss or injury the owners of the restaurant were generously satisfied for any business lost during the filming

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word satisfy distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of satisfy are compensate, indemnify, pay, recompense, reimburse, remunerate, and repay. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

When would compensate be a good substitute for satisfy?

The words compensate and satisfy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When could indemnify be used to replace satisfy?

The synonyms indemnify and satisfy are sometimes interchangeable, but indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When is it sensible to use pay instead of satisfy?

Although the words pay and satisfy have much in common, pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

Where would recompense be a reasonable alternative to satisfy?

While in some cases nearly identical to satisfy, recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

When is reimburse a more appropriate choice than satisfy?

While the synonyms reimburse and satisfy are close in meaning, reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

When can remunerate be used instead of satisfy?

The words remunerate and satisfy can be used in similar contexts, but remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

When might repay be a better fit than satisfy?

The meanings of repay and satisfy largely overlap; however, repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

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 satisfy But that wouldn’t have satisfied anyone. Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026 Funding conditions But USA Rare Earth has to satisfy several conditions before the agreement with Commerce is finalized. Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026 Those deals satisfied the Mets’ biggest needs, with the ace Peralta now topping their rotation, Bichette ready to settle into the heart of the lineup and at third base, and Robert set to provide elite center-field defense with upside as a hitter. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026 Americans need some truth, not media obsessed with satisfying everybody. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for satisfy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for satisfy
Verb
  • This dopamine release can help alleviate feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness.
    Beth Collums, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • On the infrastructure front, Irvin said work will continue this year on the installation of a large stormwater pipe designed to redirect water out of the village and alleviate flooding.
    Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The rest of the cast convinced Wilde to take the role as the final member of the quartet.
    Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
  • The riverfront eatery still commands hourlong wait times for customers traveling from Sunrise, Plantation and neighborhoods west of Interstate 75, which convinced the couple to pick a suburban outpost.
    Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Griot is a West African term for an oral historian and storyteller, a role many saw Bullock fulfilling.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
  • The company had touted the service’s ability to cut the retailer’s delivery times by fulfilling closer to the consumer.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Contestants are trying to please the producer asking the questions.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Las Vegas is also a crowd-pleasing favorite in this regard.
    Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Extraction intensifies to compensate.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The judge concluded program participants could not be Salvation Army employees because there was no express or implied agreement they would be compensated.
    Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Economic damage is already being done in both conflicts and for no better reason than to slake this president’s insatiable appetite for power.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Personal involvement sees them hosting frequently, slaking curiosity, and firing their guests’ imagination with riveting stories.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Is the rewriting of history or attacks on universities—are these part of an attempt to persuade Americans to think differently about elections?
    Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
  • The Spirit attempted to negotiate a lucrative contract extension and persuade her not to leave for Europe.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said in a statement after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed a 37-year-old man that Senate Democrats won't support keeping the government fully open while also funding DHS.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 25 Jan. 2026
  • Once the snow starts falling, keep all outside vents clear of snow.
    Matt Schooley, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Satisfy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/satisfy. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

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