pacifying 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of pacifyingnext
1
as in relaxing
tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress a pacifying treat of milk and cookies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in appeasing
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility the referee adopted a pacifying tone to try to calm everyone down

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pacifying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pacify
1
as in comforting
to lessen the anger or agitation of the only thing that would pacify the child and end the tantrum was a new toy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subduing
to bring under one's control by force of arms additional ground forces were needed to occupy those areas that had already been pacified

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifying
  1. appeasing
  2. soothing
  3. conciliatory
  4. conquering
  5. dominating
  6. peaceful
  7. disarming
  8. benevolent
Verb
  • Representative Mike Lawler of New York, who has hinted at ambitions for a governor bid in 2026, according to the New York Post, will need to walk a fine line between appeasing his party and not upsetting potential voters in his home state, which could put him at odds with Republicans.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
  • According to Atlas Obscura, also on Christmas Eve, some families believe in appeasing the nisser—barn-dwelling house elves that are said to help residents survive tough winters—and many children continue to leave a bowl of risengrød, or sweet porridge, for the folkloric creatures.
    Chad de Guzman, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of appeasing
Adjective
  • Try providing the breed with a calmer and more soothing environment.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
  • Neither Austan Goolsbee’s predictably soothing words nor the Friday index rebound were enough to offset fully the quicksilver repricing of Federal Reserve’s rate-setting path for next year, nor the 3% dump in the S & P 500 on Wednesday that followed the Fed’s decision and outlook release.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2024
Definition of soothing
Adjective
  • His gestures, however conciliatory, were not enough to satisfy Le Pen.
    Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
  • Critics of outgoing chair Greg Barclay, a pragmatic New Zealander, believed his role was merely reduced to conciliatory rather than agenda setting.
    Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Definition of conciliatory
Verb
  • Is there not a single executive somewhere at Netflix to greenlight a fresh retelling of the core Hanukkah story of pride, miracles, and determined guerilla warfare against a conquering despot?
    Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Then English speakers began conquering Celtic, Native American, African, Australian and other peoples, pressuring or forcing them to give up their languages.
    Ross Perlin, The Dial, 14 Nov. 2024
Definition of conquering
Verb
  • Blending fiddle with a stomp-clap sing-along and a familiar hip-hop melody, the song etched a spot in music history this year by dominating charts and scoring near-countless streams.
    Matthew Leimkuehler, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
  • With new brands emerging daily, celebrity endorsements dominating the narrative, and marketing claims becoming increasingly hyperbolic, standing out as a true industry leader requires more than innovative packaging or a catchy tagline.
    Lara Devgan, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Definition of dominating
Adjective
  • Dunn said he was disappointed that the Senate was unable to reach the two-thirds threshold needed to convict Trump after he was impeached by the House for his role in the Jan. 6 riots and his attempt to delay the peaceful transfer of power.
    Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
  • While Monday’s outcome revived a U.S. tradition that launches the peaceful transfer of presidential power, what’s unclear is if Jan. 6, 2021, was the anomaly or if this year’s calm becomes the outlier.
    Matt Brown, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2025
Definition of peaceful
Adjective
  • This will be both disarming and believable, allowing your daughter to propose times that are both far off and inconvenient.
    Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2022
  • What follows instead is a pivotal listen that conveys trauma in an assured yet disarming way.
    Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of disarming
Adjective
  • Welcome to 2025—a world of benevolent AI, robot assistants, biological breakthroughs, and the general promise of the future.
    Amy Sterling, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • In a most benevolent gesture, Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has invited the most prolific home run hitter in franchise history, the man who sold more tickets to Wrigley Field than the beer and the ivy, to the team’s fan convention next month.
    Jon Greenberg, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of benevolent
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near pacifying

pacify

pacifying

pacing

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Cite this Entry

“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pacifying

Nglish: Translation of pacifying for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of pacifying for Arabic Speakers

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