Appeasable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Capable of being pacified or made less agitated through understanding or concessions
2. Able to be soothed or made less angry by concessions or empathy
3. Susceptible to pacification through compromise or reassurance

Etymology: "Appeasable" is a straightforward formation: the verb "appease" with the suffix "-able" attached. "Appease" came into English from Old French "apaisier," which was built from "a-" and "pais" (peace), so the verb's core idea is bringing about peace. Adding "-able" gives the sense of being capable of having one's anger or demands settled. The suffix itself has a longer ancestry. It traces back through Latin "-bilis" and "-ābilis," which described what could be done, to a much older root meaning something like "to be able" in Proto-Indo-European. It reached English through Old French, which is why the same ending appears in words such as "readable" and "bearable."

Synonyms: placatable, pacifiable

Antonyms: unappeasable