Word of the Day

: May 6, 2022

mollify

verb MAH-luh-fye

What It Means

Mollify means "to soothe in temper or disposition" or "to reduce in intensity."

// The company attempted to mollify its employees by offering them more flexible work schedules.

// The explanation was intended to mollify the manager's anger.

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mollify in Context

"And a lot of fans who had vowed never to return were apparently mollified since attendance returned to pre-strike levels within a year. Will fans forgive this time? Maybe. But MLB was losing ground before the lockout." — Jeffery G. Hanna, The Roanoke (Virginia) Times, 23 Mar. 2022

Did You Know?

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."