Assuage

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈsweɪd͡ʒ/

Definitions

1. To calm, ease, or reduce the intensity of something, such as pain, anger, or hunger
2. To diminish the severity or intensity of discomfort, distress, or negative emotion
3. To lessen or soften the force of pain, anger, hunger, or similar unpleasant sensations

Etymology: The verb "assuage" carries a surprisingly sweet origin. It traces back to Latin "suāvis," meaning "sweet" or "pleasant," the same root that gives English "suave." Latin speakers added "ad-" to form a verb meaning roughly "to make sweet," and in Vulgar Latin this became a word for sweetening or buttering up someone, which then shifted toward calming them down. The word passed into Old French as "asuagier," meaning "to appease, to calm," and from there into Middle English as "aswagen." The sense moved from flavouring food to soothing a person's temper, and that is the idea English kept: where a sweet taste once made things pleasant, the verb now describes easing pain, grief, or anger.

Synonyms: alleviate, ease, relieve

Antonyms: aggravate, intensify