Word of the Day

: November 6, 2021

propitiate

verb proh-PISH-ee-ayt

What It Means

Propitiate means "to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of someone"—in other words, "to make someone pleased or less angry."

// Fans of the team wondered how to propitiate the football gods after yet another heartbreaking defeat.

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propitiate in Context

"Borlaug was in Mexico for a small side project that involved … a fungus that is wheat's oldest and worst predator (the Romans made sacrifices to propitiate the god of stem rust)." — Charles C. Mann, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2018

Did You Know?

Propitiate tends to suggest averting the anger or malevolence of a superior being. You might "appease" your hunger, but to speak more colorfully, you could "propitiate the gods of hunger." The word is related to propitious, an adjective meaning "likely to have or produce good results" or "being a good omen."