Soothing

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈsuːðɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Eliciting feelings of comfort and peace that can ease both emotional strain and physical discomfort
2. Bringing a sense of calm and comfort that helps reduce distress or pain
3. Providing gentle relief by calming nerves or alleviating discomfort

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "soothing" is that it began as a word about truth. The Old English "sōþ" meant "truth" or "true, real," and from it came the verb "sōþian," meaning to prove something true, to confirm it, or to speak the truth. Over time that sense of confirming or affirming shifted toward agreeing with someone, then toward calming them down, so that to soothe a person came to mean to humour them or make them feel better. The same root reaches far beyond English. Old Norse "sannr," Old High German "sand," and Gothic "sunja" all meant "true," and the Gothic word for "truth" was "sunja" itself. Old English "synn," which we now render as "sin," is related too, its original sense being roughly "one who is guilty," that is, one who is found to be in the wrong when the truth comes out.

Synonyms: calming, relaxing, tranquilizing, comforting, pacifying

Antonyms: agitating, irritating, disturbing