assuage

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Contents

[edit] English

[edit] Alternative spellings

[edit] Etymology

Middle English aswagen, from Old French assouagier "appease, calm", from Vulgar Latin assuaviare, derived from Latin ad- "ad-" + suavis "sweet".

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to assuage

Third person singular
assuages

Simple past
assuaged

Past participle
assuaged

Present participle
assuaging

to assuage (third-person singular simple present assuages, present participle assuaging, simple past and past participle assuaged)

  1. (transitive) To lessen the intensity of, to mitigate or relieve (hunger, emotion, pain etc.).
    • 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
  2. (transitive) To pacify or soothe (someone).
  3. (intransitive) (obsolete) To calm down, become less violent (of passion, hunger etc.); to subside, to abate.

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

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[edit] References

[edit] Anagrams