assuage
Assuage (verb) means to make an unpleasant feeling, such as fear, guilt, or grief, less intense. Example: “Her kind words helped assuage his guilt.”
How to use assuage
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo ease or calm a bad feeling, or to satisfy a need.
Almost always used with negative feelings — fear, guilt, grief, anger — that get softened, not with positive ones.
Trace the full origin ↓Word forms
assuaged past tense, assuages singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Her kind words helped _____ his guilt.
Etymology
From Old French asuagier ("to calm, appease"), from Vulgar Latin *assuaviare, from Latin ad- plus suavis ("sweet, pleasant").
Synonyms
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Rhymes for assuage
See all rhymes for assuage →Frequently asked questions
What does “assuage” mean?
The word “assuage” means to make an unpleasant feeling, such as fear, guilt, or grief, less intense. In plain terms, to ease or calm a bad feeling, or to satisfy a need.
How do you pronounce “assuage”?
“Assuage” is pronounced uh-SWAYJ (/əˈswɑʒ/ in IPA).
How do you use “assuage” in a sentence?
Here is “assuage” used in a sentence: “Her kind words helped assuage his guilt.”
What part of speech is “assuage”?
“Assuage” is a verb.
Where does the word “assuage” come from?
The word “assuage” comes from Vulgar Latin. From Old French asuagier ("to calm, appease"), from Vulgar Latin *assuaviare, from Latin ad- plus suavis ("sweet, pleasant").
How many meanings does “assuage” have?
“Assuage” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make an unpleasant feeling, such as fear, guilt, or grief, less intense.