mollify

verb

mol·​li·​fy ˈmä-lə-ˌfī 

mollified; mollifying

transitive verb

1

: to soothe in temper or disposition : appease

mollified the staff with a raise

2

: to reduce the rigidity of : soften

Shaving cream mollifies the beard.

3

: to reduce in intensity : assuage, temper

Time mollified his anger.

intransitive verb

archaic : soften, relent

mollification

ˌmä-lə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

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The Difference Between Mollify, Appease, and Placate

Mollify, like its synonyms pacify, appease, and placate, means "to ease the anger or disturbance of." But mollify is particularly well-suited for referring to an act of soothing hurt feelings or anger; it comes from the Latin mollis, meaning "soft."

Synonyms

• appease
• assuage
• conciliate
• disarm
• gentle
• pacify
• placate
• propitiate

Choose the Right Synonym for mollify

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

Examples of mollify in a Sentence

He tried to mollify his critics with an apology.

All attempts to mollify the extremists have failed.

The landlord fixed the heat, but the tenants still were not mollified.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the war room looked, to some, less like a solution and more like a mollifying stunt—a show put on for the press. —Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024

The anger in his eyes is not mollified by his charcoal suit, blue shirt, black tie, and black dress shoes. —Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024

In an August 15 speech, Abe mollified liberals and regional observers by including language seen as essential for acknowledging Japan’s past wrongdoing. —Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2022

Certainly, additional court security measures can partially mollify these risks, but closure of hearings is another tool this court can employ to ensure these parties’ safe access to the courthouse. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mollifien, from Middle French mollifier, from Late Latin mollificare, from Latin mollis soft; akin to Greek amaldynein to soften, Sanskrit mṛdu soft, and probably to Greek malakos soft, amblys dull, Old English meltan to melt

First Known Use

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

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Kids Definition

mollify

verb

mol·​li·​fy ˈmäl-ə-ˌfī 

mollified; mollifying

1

: to reduce the harshness or violence of

2

: to soothe in temper or disposition : conciliate

mollification

ˌmäl-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun