verb
placate
pluh-KAYT
Placate (verb) means to calm someone down and ease their anger. Example: “He offered a refund to placate the furious customer.”
verb
1
To calm someone down and ease their anger.
"He offered a refund to placate the furious customer."
"Nothing she said could placate her boss after the deadline was missed."
How to use placate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo soothe someone's anger or make them less upset, often by giving them something they want.
Common mistake
Placate implies someone was already angry; it's not just "please" — you please a happy person, you placate an angry one.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
placate critics
attempt to placate
placate an angry customer
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- placates
- Past tense
- placated
- Comparative
- more placate
- Superlative
- most placate
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He offered a refund to _____ the furious customer.
Etymology
From Latin placatus, "calmed, appeased," related to placere, "to please."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for placate
See all rhymes for placate →Frequently asked questions
What does “placate” mean?
The word “placate” means to calm someone down and ease their anger. In plain terms, to soothe someone's anger or make them less upset, often by giving them something they want.
How do you pronounce “placate”?
“Placate” is pronounced pluh-KAYT (/ˈpleɪkeɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “placate” in a sentence?
Here is “placate” used in a sentence: “He offered a refund to placate the furious customer.”
What part of speech is “placate”?
“Placate” is a verb.
Where does the word “placate” come from?
The word “placate” comes from Latin. From Latin placatus, "calmed, appeased," related to placere, "to please.".
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