Mollifyingly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Performed in a manner that seeks to ease discomfort or anxiety
2. Done in a way that reduces anger or tension in a situation
3. Acting so as to gently pacify or appease feelings of distress

Etymology: "Mollifyingly" is an adverb built from "mollifying" (the present participle of "mollify") plus the suffix "-ly," which turns an adjective into an adverb describing how something is done. The participle itself is the older part of the story: "mollify" comes from the Latin "mollificare," meaning "to soften," built from "mollis" ("soft") and "facere" ("to make"). The English verb carried that sense of softening over into the figurative idea of softening someone's temper or feelings, which is the root of the meaning here. Because the word is a straightforward suffixed form, its meaning follows directly from its parts: an action carried out in a way that makes someone less agitated, upset, or anxious. Someone who speaks mollifyingly is, in effect, doing the work of making a hard moment softer.

Synonyms: calmly, soothingly, placatingly

Antonyms: aggressively, provocatively, irritably