Propitiates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To gain favor or goodwill by doing something that pleases or appeases another party
2. To successfully appease someone by offering conciliatory acts or gestures
3. To win over or soften anger or displeasure by making suitable offerings or gestures

Etymology: The verb "propitiate" is the third-person singular form of "propitiate", so the story belongs to the base verb. It comes from the Latin "propitiāre", meaning "make favourable", which was built on the adjective "propitius", meaning "favourable" or "gracious". The Latin root carries the sense of a deity turned kindly, and the English verb keeps that religious flavour: to propitiate a god was to soften its anger with offerings. Over time the word broadened from appeasing gods to appeasing any person who might be offended or resentful. Today it describes gestures that successfully win over someone who was displeased, whether a rival, a critic, or an irritated boss. The pronunciation of the root has stayed close to its Latin shape, which is why the word still sounds more formal than its everyday synonyms.

Synonyms: appeases, conciliates, pacifies, soothes, calms

Antonyms: angers, provokes, incites, irritates, upsets