verb

pacify

PA-sih-feye

Pacify (verb) means to calm down a person, place, or situation, ending anger, unrest, or conflict. Example: “The government sent troops to pacify the rebellious region.”

verb

To calm down a person, place, or situation, ending anger, unrest, or conflict.

"The government sent troops to pacify the rebellious region."

"She tried to pacify her crying son with a favourite toy."

To appease or satisfy someone, often to stop them complaining.

"The company offered a refund to pacify the angry customers."

How to use pacify

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo calm someone down or bring peace to a tense situation.

Common pairings

pacify the crowd pacify a child

Word forms

pacified past tense, pacifies singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The government sent troops to _____ the rebellious region.

Etymology

From Latin "pax" ("peace") and "facere" ("to make") — literally "to make peace."

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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allay ameliorate appease assuage becalm bestill bring down calm calm down cool down cool off delay

Antonyms

agitate becraze enrage harass provoke taunt

Related words

still kill peace campaign fell patient afraid angry

Rhymes for pacify

unify codify verify notify purify modify qualify amplify crucify specify falsify certify

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Frequently asked questions

What does “pacify” mean?

The word “pacify” means to calm down a person, place, or situation, ending anger, unrest, or conflict. In plain terms, to calm someone down or bring peace to a tense situation.

How do you pronounce “pacify”?

“Pacify” is pronounced PA-sih-feye (/ˈpæsɪfaɪ/ in IPA).

How do you use “pacify” in a sentence?

Here is “pacify” used in a sentence: “The government sent troops to pacify the rebellious region.”

What is another word for “pacify”?

Words with a similar meaning to “pacify” include allay, ameliorate, appease, assuage, becalm and bestill.

What is the opposite of “pacify”?

The opposite of “pacify” — its antonyms — are agitate, becraze, enrage, harass and provoke.

What part of speech is “pacify”?

“Pacify” is a verb.

Where does the word “pacify” come from?

The word “pacify” comes from Latin. From Latin "pax" ("peace") and "facere" ("to make") — literally "to make peace.".

How many meanings does “pacify” have?

“Pacify” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to calm down a person, place, or situation, ending anger, unrest, or conflict.

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