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
1
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."
2
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 notesIn plain EnglishTo calm someone down or bring peace to a tense situation.
Common pairings
pacify the crowd
pacify a child
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- pacifies
- Past tense
- pacified
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."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for pacify
See all rhymes for pacify →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.
