assuage

1
2
as in to satisfy
to put a complete end to (a physical need or desire) that huge meal certainly assuaged my hunger

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word assuage different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of assuage are allay, alleviate, lighten, mitigate, and relieve. While all these words mean "to make something less grievous," assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

When might allay be a better fit than assuage?

While the synonyms allay and assuage are close in meaning, allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

When is it sensible to use alleviate instead of assuage?

Although the words alleviate and assuage have much in common, alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

When could lighten be used to replace assuage?

In some situations, the words lighten and assuage are roughly equivalent. However, lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

In what contexts can mitigate take the place of assuage?

The meanings of mitigate and assuage largely overlap; however, mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

Where would relieve be a reasonable alternative to assuage?

While in some cases nearly identical to assuage, relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of assuage From a market signal perspective the inclusion of bitcoin and other cryptoassets into retirement planning vehicles – not known for traditionally investing heavily into high risk assets in most cases – could help assuage remaining doubts and questions. Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025 Zelenskyy and European leaders instead held a virtual conference with Trump on Wednesday to assuage fears that the U.S. and Russia would come to a backroom agreement without Ukraine's input. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2025 Later on, Trump appeared to have been somewhat assuaged by the visit. Steve Kopack, NBC news, 24 July 2025 Homeless advocates and experts say California’s unprecedented investments in homelessness programs likely prevented a larger spike, though that’s done little to assuage boiling public frustration over encampments statewide. Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for assuage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assuage
Verb
  • Even so, the £125m British-record fee received for Isak (which the club insist is actually worth £130m to them due to solidarity payments being waived) is an astronomical fee and should alleviate any concerns about the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules for several windows to come.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • That simplifies the process for fans, but probably doesn’t alleviate the sticker shock.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • To satisfy this demand, Nebius will supply Microsoft with dedicated capacity from a new data center located in Vineland, New Jersey, starting later this year.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Other tasters agreed these anchovies had a meaty texture, which made each fillet a satisfying several bites.
    Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Spin-Off and Beyond Holliday’s popularity was so immense (and to potentially appease Linda Lavin), CBS gave her a spinoff, Flo, which ran for two seasons (1980–81) and earned her another Golden Globe nomination.
    Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • What we’ve been taught to call intimacy—caretaking, appeasing, overfunctioning—is just codependency.
    Vanessa Bennett, SELF, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After my long flight home, I was relieved that the late-night visitor turned out to be nothing more than city workers on the job (and their job in this case, while surprising, didn't turn out to be too destructive).
    Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
  • She was placed on a ventilator, and doctors surgically removed a piece of her skull to relieve the pressure, according to The Times.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Supporters argue the task force helped modernize parts of the justice system and address racial disparities.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Under captain Eric Brown, the GB&I team was even instructed not to help opponents search for lost balls.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The positive experience of being soothed, whether through calming words, laughter or playful connection, encourages a preference for partners who are attuned and responsive.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • But one way to distract and soothe your temperamental toddler might be through music.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With more passengers than ever traveling with electronic devices, airlines and regulators are increasingly taking measures to mitigate against the risks.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • But local and state leaders say recent measures meant to mitigate waste and fraud in the federal government have made this historically slow process even slower – causing funds already green-lighted by FEMA to sit for months before making their way to the state.
    Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This was a week dedicated to the passage of several bills that would ease regulations on prominent appliances.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • However, some pressures have eased compared with a year ago.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assuage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assuage. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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