soothe

[ sooth ]

verb (used with object)

, soothed, sooth·ing.

1. to tranquilize or calm (a person or their emotions); relieve, comfort, or refresh:

   soothing someone's anger;

   to soothe someone with a hot drink.

   Antonyms: roil, upset

2. to mitigate, assuage, or allay, as pain, sorrow, or doubt:

   to soothe sunburned skin.

   Synonyms: mollify, appease, alleviate

verb (used without object)

, soothed, sooth·ing.

1. to exert a calming influence; bring tranquility, ease, or comfort:

   a soft-spoken poem that soothes like a lullaby.

soothe

/ suːð /

verb

1. tr to make calm or tranquil
2. tr to relieve or assuage (pain, longing, etc)
3. intr to bring tranquillity or relief

Derived Forms

• ˈsoother, noun

Other Words From

• soother noun
• self-soothed adjective
• un·soothed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of soothe¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English sothen “to bear witness, confirm, verify,” Old English sōthian “to prove true”; the Modern English sense shift “to verify” becomes “to support (a person's statement),” then “to encourage,” and finally “to calm”; sooth

Word History and Origins

Origin of soothe¹

C16 (in the sense: to mollify): from Old English sōthian to prove; related to Old Norse sanna to assert; see sooth

Synonym Study

See comfort, allay.

Example Sentences

In the face of this, there's been a lot of pressure on women to do more to soothe fragile male egos.

From Salon

Any chance of another Trump presidency is unacceptable, and now is not the time to soothe ourselves with reassuring predictions.

From Slate

Southern California is blessed with an abundance of brilliant weather for gardening along with a plethora of botanic gardens to help us decide what to grow — or to soothe our souls when we need some plant time outdoors.

From Los Angeles Times

Why can't we just soothe their fragile egos with sweet little lies, if that's what it takes to calm them down?

From Salon

There is rampant spiritual sickness pervading the West, and what is called luxury, in every area of life, seems to soothe its symptoms.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• allay
• alleviate
• appease
• assuage
• cool
• mitigate
• mollify
• pacify
• relieve
• soften