assuage

Assuage — As*suage , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Assuaged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Assuaging}.] [OE. asuagen, aswagen, OF. asoagier, asuagier, fr. assouagier, fr. L. ad + suavis sweet. See {Sweet}.] To soften, in a figurative sense; to allay, mitigate, ease, or lessen …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Assuage — As*suage , v. i. To abate or subside. [Archaic] The waters assuaged. Gen. vii. 1. [1913 Webster] The plague being come to a crisis, its fury began to assuage. De Foe. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

assuage — I verb abate, allay, alleviate, appease, attemper, blunt, chasten, check, comfort, compose, curb, diminish, ease, lessen, levare, mitigare, mitigate, moderate, mollify, obtund, pacify, palliate, quell, quench, reduce, relieve, remedy, salve, sate …   Law dictionary

assuage — (v.) c.1300, from Anglo Fr. assuager, O.Fr. assoagier soften, moderate, alleviate, calm, soothe, pacify, from V.L. *adsuaviare, from L. ad to (see AD (Cf. ad )) + suavis sweet, agreeable (see SWEET (Cf. sweet)). For sound development in French,… …   Etymology dictionary

assuage — alleviate, *relieve, mitigate, lighten, allay Analogous words: temper, *moderate: *comfort, solace, console: mollify, placate, appease, *pacify Antonyms: exacerbate: intensify Contrasted words: kindle (see LIGHT vb): aggravate, heighten (see …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

assuage — [v] soothe, relieve allay, alleviate, appease, calm, compose, conciliate, cool*, ease, fill, lessen, lighten, lull, make nice*, mitigate, moderate, mollify, pacify, palliate, placate, pour oil on*, propitiate, quench, quiet, sate, satisfy, soften …   New thesaurus

assuage — ► VERB 1) make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense. 2) satisfy (an appetite or desire). DERIVATIVES assuagement noun. ORIGIN Old French assouagier, from Latin suavis sweet …   English terms dictionary

assuage — [ə swāj′, aswāj′] vt. assuaged, assuaging [ME aswagen < OFr assouagier < L ad , to + suavis, SWEET] 1. to lessen (pain, distress, etc.); allay 2. to calm (passion, anger, etc.); pacify 3. to satisfy or slake (thirst, appetite, etc.) SYN.… …   English World dictionary

assuage — /əˈsweɪdʒ / (say uh swayj) verb (t) (assuaged, assuaging) 1. to make milder or less severe; mitigate; ease: to assuage grief. 2. to appease; satisfy: to assuage appetite; to assuage thirst; to assuage a craving. 3. to mollify; pacify: to assuage… …   Australian English dictionary

assuage — assuagement, n. assuager, n. /euh swayj , euh swayzh /, v.t., assuaged, assuaging. 1. to make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: to assuage one s grief; to assuage one s pain. 2. to appease; satisfy; allay; relieve: to assuage one s… …   Universalium

assuage — [[t]əswe͟ɪʤ[/t]] assuages, assuaging, assuaged 1) VERB If you assuage an unpleasant feeling that someone has, you make them feel it less strongly. [LITERARY] [V n] To assuage his wife s grief, he took her on a tour of Europe... [V n] She was just …   English dictionary