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pacify



pac·i·fy [ ˈpa-sə-ˌfī]



pacify   
verb
[ˈpa-sə-ˌfī]
pacified; pacifying

Definition of pacify

transitive verb

1a : to allay the anger or agitation of : soothe
//pacify a crying child
b : appease, propitiate
//tried to pacify the enemy with compromises
2a : to restore to a tranquil state : settle
//made an attempt to pacify the commotion
b : to reduce to a submissive state : subdue
//forces moved in to pacify the country


Other Words from pacify
pacifiable \ ˌpa-​sə-​ˈfī-​ə-​bəl \ adjective


Synonyms & Antonyms for dainty

Synonyms: Synonyms

Synonyms: Antonyms


Choose the Right Synonym for dainty

pacify, appease, placate, mollify, propitiate, conciliate mean to ease the anger or disturbance of. pacify suggests a soothing or calming.
//pacified by a sincere apology appease implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions.
//appease their territorial ambitions placate suggests changing resentment or bitterness to goodwill.
// a move to placate local opposition mollify implies soothing hurt feelings or rising anger.
// a speech that mollified the demonstrators propitiate implies averting anger or malevolence especially of a superior being.
//propitiated his parents by dressing up conciliate suggests ending an estrangement by persuasion, concession, or settling of differences.
//conciliating the belligerent nations



Did You Know

A parent who wants to win a little peace and quiet might give a fussy baby a pacifier. An employer seeking to avoid worker discontent might pay employees well. These actions may seem unrelated, but, etymologically speaking, they have a lot in common. Both "pacifier" and "pay" are ultimately derived from "pax," the Latin word for "peace." As you may have guessed, "pax" is also the source of our word peace. "Pacify" comes to us through Middle English "pacifien," from the Latin verb pacificare, which derives from "pax."



Recent Examples on the Web


//According to the Telegraph’s Mike Wright, the fort likely served as a satellite of Isca Dumnoniorum, a military fortification garrisoned by 5,500 legionaries tasked with pacifying the fiercely resisting local populations in the region.
— Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Construction Reveals Remnants of Roman Fort Below British Bus Station," 27 Sep. 2019
//In an attempt to pacify farmers, the Department of Agriculture created an expansive new program without precedent.
— BostonGlobe.com, "WASHINGTON — Senior government officials, including some in the White House, privately expressed concern that the Trump administration’s nearly $30 billion bailout for farmers needed stronger legal backing, according to multiple people who participated in the planning.," 10 Sep. 2019
//The recent withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill, initially the trigger of the demonstrations, has done little to pacify public anger.
— Time, "Hong Kong's Protestors Have Their Own Special Slang. Here's a Glossary of Some Common Terms," 6 Sep. 2019
//Maybe the Texans make some other creature-comfort maneuver to pacify the head coach because, at least from the outside, that seems to be most important.
— Conor Orr, SI.com, "In a Stunning, Unexpected Move, Texans Fire GM Brian Gaine," 7 June 2019
//In an attempt to pacify farmers, the Department of Agriculture created an expansive new program without precedent.
— BostonGlobe.com, "WASHINGTON — Senior government officials, including some in the White House, privately expressed concern that the Trump administration’s nearly $30 billion bailout for farmers needed stronger legal backing, according to multiple people who participated in the planning.," 10 Sep. 2019
//In an attempt to pacify farmers, the Department of Agriculture created an expansive new program without precedent.
— Jeff Stein, Washington Post, "As billions flow to farmers, Trump administration faces internal concerns over unprecedented bailout," 9 Sep. 2019
//Cheung, who wants more autonomy from Beijing, increasingly has been unable to pacify the police and is ignored by the youthful protesters who once saw him as an ally.
— Matt Bradley, NBC News, "As Hong Kong protests turn violent, one man fights to preserve middle ground," 24 Aug. 2019
//In a bid to pacify Mercosur’s demand for a more favorable beef quota, the EU also agreed to import up to 180,000 tons each of poultry and sugar, duty-free.
— Jeffrey T. Lewis, WSJ, "EU, Mercosur Reach Agreement on Trade," 28 June 2019


First Known Use of pacify

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a



History and Etymology for pacify

Middle English pacifien, from Anglo-French pacifier, from Latin pacificare, from pac-, pax peace



Dictionary Entries near pacify

pacifier

pacifism

pacifist

pacify

Pacinian corpuscle

pack

package



More Synonyms and Antonyms ofpacify

Synonyms & Antonyms of pacify

1 to lessen the anger or agitation of
  • the only thing that would pacify the child and end the tantrum was a new toy

Synonyms for pacify

Words Related to pacify

Near Antonyms for pacify

Antonyms for pacify

2 to bring under one's control by force of arms
  • additional ground forces were needed to occupy those areas that had already been pacified

Synonyms for pacify

Words Related to pacify

Near Antonyms for pacify



More Definitions forpacify

pacify

verb

English Language Learners Definition of pacify

: to cause (someone who is angry or upset) to become calm or quiet
: to cause or force (a country, a violent group of people, etc.) to become peaceful

pacify

verb
pac·​i·​fy | \ ˈpa-sə-ˌfī \
pacified; pacifying

Kids Definition of pacify

: to make peaceful or quiet : calm, soothe
//The babysitter tried to pacify the crying baby.