mollify

verb

mol·li·fy ˈmä-lə-ˌfī

mollified; mollifying

Synonyms of mollify next

transitive verb

: to soothe in temper or disposition : appease

mollified the staff with a raise

: to reduce the rigidity of : soften

Shaving cream mollifies the beard.

: to reduce in intensity : assuage, temper

Time mollified his anger.

intransitive verb

archaic : soften, relent

mollification

ˌmä-lə-fə-ˈkā-shən

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for mollify

pacify, appease, placate, mollify, propitiate, conciliate mean to ease the anger or disturbance of.

pacify suggests a soothing or calming.

pacified by a sincere apology

appease implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions.

appease their territorial ambitions

placate suggests changing resentment or bitterness to goodwill.

a move to placate local opposition

mollify implies soothing hurt feelings or rising anger.

a speech that mollified the demonstrators

propitiate implies averting anger or malevolence especially of a superior being.

propitiated his parents by dressing up

conciliate suggests ending an estrangement by persuasion, concession, or settling of differences.

conciliating the belligerent nations

Examples of mollify in a Sentence

He tried to mollify his critics with an apology. All attempts to mollify the extremists have failed. The landlord fixed the heat, but the tenants still were not mollified.

Recent Examples on the Web The President had been mollified but never dissuaded. —

Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024 But conservatives were not mollified by that argument. —

David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2024 The divestitures of the stores plus other facilities, such as distribution centers, is intended to mollify federal and state regulators, many of which are suing to permanently block the transaction. —

Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 10 July 2024 The league will have several opportunities to convince judges to reverse or mollify the verdict and preserve a broadcasting arrangement where the 32 teams pool their broadcasting rights through the Sunday Ticket. —

Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for mollify

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mollify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mollifien, from Middle French mollifier, from Late Latin mollificare, from Latin mollis soft; akin to Greek amaldynein to soften, Sanskrit mṛdu soft, and probably to Greek malakos soft, amblys dull, Old English meltan to melt

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of mollify was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mollify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mollify. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

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Kids Definition

mollify

verb

mol·li·fy ˈmäl-ə-ˌfī

mollified; mollifying

: to reduce the harshness or violence of

: to soothe in temper or disposition : conciliate

mollification

ˌmäl-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən

noun

Last Updated: 29 Jul 2024 - Updated example sentences

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mollify

verb

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Synonyms

Examples of mollify in a Sentence

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