assuage

CEFRC2

/əˈsweɪd͡ʒ/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To make an unpleasant feeling or problem less strong.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To calm down, become less violent (of passion, hunger etc.); to subside, to abate.

Examples

  • The mayor's apology did little to assuage public anger.

  • This medicine will assuage the pain.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3

Also pronounced

  • /əˈswɑʒ/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To pacify or soothe (someone).

  2. To make an unpleasant feeling less intense; to satisfy or relieve.

  3. To lessen the intensity of, to mitigate or relieve (hunger, emotion, pain, etc.).

More examples

In context

  • 1864 November 21, Abraham Lincoln (signed) or John Hay, letter to Mrs. Bixby in Boston I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost.

  • to assuage the sorrows of a desolate old man

  • Refreshing winds the summer's heat assuage.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The doctor gave her medicine to blank the severe pain after the surgery.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English aswagen, from Old French asuagier (“to appease, to calm”), from Vulgar Latin *assuāviō (“to sweeten, to butter up, to calm”), derived from Latin ad- + suāvis (“sweet”) + -iō.