allay

[ uh-ley ]

verb (used with object)

, al·layed, al·lay·ing.

1. to put (fear, doubt, suspicion, anger, etc.) to rest; calm; quiet.

   Synonyms: assuage, soften

   Antonyms: excite

2. to lessen or relieve; mitigate; alleviate:

   to allay pain.

   Synonyms: ease, temper, mollify, lighten

allay

/ əˈleɪ /

verb

1. to relieve (pain, grief, etc) or be relieved
2. tr to reduce (fear, anger, etc)

Other Words From

• al·layer noun
• unal·layed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of allay¹

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; allege ) to alleviate, allay

Word History and Origins

Origin of allay¹

Old English ālecgan to put down, from lecgan to lay ¹

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

But this has done little to allay fears within the farming community, while there is still confusion over how many might be affected.

From BBC

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

But Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said he was confident the "full detail" of the arrangement would allay concerns.

From BBC

Jack O’Brien, the show’s director, tried to allay her concerns by framing the production as a public stress reliever.

From Los Angeles Times

The big players in the global data centre industry are trying to allay people’s concerns.

From BBC

Related Words

• alleviate
• assuage
• calm
• ease
• lessen
• mitigate
• mollify
• pacify