Allaying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of alleviating fears or anxieties involves providing comfort to individuals while diminishing emotional distress and reassuring them of their well-being
2. The act of diminishing fear or anxiety to create a sense of reassurance ; the process of alleviating physical pain or discomfort to provide relief ; the act of calming emotions to promote tranquility and peace
3. A process intended to ease feelings of worry or dread in someone ; the method of making physical discomfort or pain more bearable ; an action that soothes agitated feelings and restores calm

Etymology: "Allaying" is the present participle of "allay," and the verb has a surprising range of past meanings. In Old English, "āleċġan" meant to put down, lay aside, or abandon, and it could also mean to destroy, overcome, or even inflict something on someone. The sense of calming a feeling came later, as the idea of laying something down gradually narrowed toward putting a troubled mind or aching body to rest. The verb is built from "a-," an intensifying prefix, and "lay," so its roots are literally in the act of setting something down. In Middle English, "alayen" grew so close in form to "allege" and "alloy" that the three words overlapped in sense, which explains why "allay" once carried notions of lessening, refusing, or withholding that have little to do with soothing anxiety today.

Synonyms: calming, soothing

Antonyms: agitating, disturbing