allay
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to relieve (pain, grief, etc) or be relieved
-
(tr) to reduce (fear, anger, etc)
Synonym Usage
Allay, moderate, soothe mean to reduce excitement or emotion. To allay is to lay to rest or lull to a sense of security, possibly by making the emotion seem unjustified: to allay suspicion, anxiety, fears. To moderate is to tone down any excess and thus to restore calm: to moderate the expression of one's grief. To soothe is to exert a pacifying or tranquilizing influence: to soothe a terrified child.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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allaysimple
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allayssimple
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have allayedperfect
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has allayedperfect
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am allayingprogressive
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are allayingprogressive
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is allayingprogressive
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have been allayingperfect progressive
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has been allayingperfect progressive
Past
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allayedsimple
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had allayedperfect
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was allayingprogressive
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were allayingprogressive
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had been allayingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of allay
before 1000; Middle English aleyen, Old English ālecgan to put down, allay ( ā- a- 3 + lecgan to lay 1 ); spelling -ll- shows influence of the now obsolete allege (< Anglo-French, Old French aleg ( i ) er; see allege) to alleviate, allay
Explanation
The verb allay is used when you want to make something better or eliminate fears and concerns. When you allay something, you are calming it or reducing difficulties. It is used commonly in the context of to allay concerns and to comfort and some of its many synonyms are alleviate, decrease, mitigate, assuage and mollify. Allay comes from the Old English word alecgan, which means "to put down," as in literally "to lighten." So, if you can allay someone's fears, you are lightening their mood!
Vocabulary lists containing allay
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Grade 11, List 6
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Twelfth Night
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Yet government statements didn’t do much to allay concerns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
In a landmark speech setting out his government's policies, Albanese sought to allay public concern over AI, saying it could be adopted in a way that enhanced the national interest.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Beijing has stepped in to allay India's concerns.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
It’s only people like Ruth, who thanklessly work to allay that suffering even in the smallest ways, that keep the darkness from devouring us whole.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
She was bien souffrante, and she was filled with vague dread, which only her husband’s presence could allay.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
The director of Belfast Christmas Market is hoping the suspension of roadworks in the run-up to Christmas allays concerns after recent traffic congestion in the city.
From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2024
In states that are now moving to change their procedures, lawmakers argue that creating formal rules allays security concerns and prevents bad actors from disrupting governance.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 17, 2022
Now, an ambitious new study allays those fears.
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 2, 2022
For instance, your desire to warn someone away from a speeding train allays your own anxiety; it might also give you some “told you so” satisfaction later.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 2, 2022
What an enchanting dogma, that allays the terror of a God by causing beauty to intervene between our nothingness and his Infinite Majesty.
From French Classics by Wilkinson, William Cleaver
But it has taken less than a week for those fears to be allayed.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Early fears that the fast-food colossus would be overly brand conscious and dictate content were allayed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
It will take a long time for these concerns to be allayed.
From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026
Analyst Andrew McLeod tells clients in a note that the Australian company’s December-half result allayed some market fears over earnings growth and free cash flow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
But made into a gruel it allayed the children’s craving for a time and put something into their distended, empty bellies.
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
January’s jobs growth was the largest since December of 2024, allaying fears about a weakening labor market.
From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026
Elsewhere in Asia, the Sri Lankan authorities confirmed that the president did not intend to sign execution warrants, allaying concerns it might resume putting people to death.
From BBC ● May 28, 2024
Economic data has largely indicated that the U.S. economy remains resilient, raising hopes for a soft landing and allaying concerns of a possible recession.
From Reuters ● Sep. 19, 2023
Scientists said earlier this week that the road was no longer under imminent threat from the lava, allaying fears previously that it could be cut off.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 10, 2022
Eisenhower understood that allaying the public’s concerns required concrete action.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
