pacify
verbUS /ˈpæsɪfaɪ/
Etymology From Middle French pacifier, from Latin pāx (“peace”) + faciō (“to do, make”). Cognate with pay and peacify.
1
To bring peace to (a place or situation), by ending (or suppressing) war, fighting, violence, anger or agitation.
- Near-synonyms: peacify, repacify, allay, locarnize
- Their orders were to pacify the province by destroying resistance.
2
Figuratively To mollify, placate or soothe (someone or something).
- Tell me that you'll call me / Just as soon as you get home / To pacify my heart while I'm alone / I don't like being alone1977, Maze, “While I'm Alone”, in Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly:
3
Figuratively To appease (someone).
- Watt decided in the end that an examination of Erskine's room was essential, if his mind was to be pacified, in this connexion.1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:
- Screaming feed me here Fill me up again Temporarily pacifying2000, “The Hollow”, performed by A Perfect Circle:
- Synonyms
- allay, ameliorate, appease, assuage, becalm, bestill, bring down, calm, calm down, cool down, cool off, delay, hose down, lull, mollify, pacify, peacen, placate, put at ease, quell, relax, soothe, still, temper
- Derived terms
- pacifiable, pacifier, pacifyingly, repacify, unpacify, unpacifying
- Hyponyms
- humor, make silent