Scholars assume that the word assuage derives from assuaviare, a Vulgar Latin term that combines the prefix ad- ("to" or "toward") and the Latin suavis, meaning "sweet," "pleasant," or "agreeable." (Suavis is also the source of the adjective suave.) To assuage is to sweeten or make agreeable or tolerable, and it is far from the only English word for relieving or softening something difficult. Others include allay, alleviate, and mitigate. Allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms, while alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress. Mitigate suggests moderating or countering the force or intensity of something painful.
relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.
took an aspirin to relieve the pain
alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.
the lotion alleviated the itching
lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.
good news would lighten our worries
assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.
ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat
mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.
the need to mitigate barbaric laws
allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.
allayed their fears
Example Sentences
Life contains sorrows that cannot be assuaged, and it is important to be honest in acknowledging this. Jo McGowan, Commonweal, 5 May 2006But for the second exam, my pretest diet included yogurt and ice cream (without pieces), which assuaged my hunger, and the cleansing was stimulated by a glass of salty liquid midafternoon. Jane E. Brody, New York Times, 12 July 2005Whatever arrangements such mothers willingly make for their children, whatever strategies they employ to relieve their guilt, whatever books they read to assuage their anxiety—all of that is their business, not mine. Caitlin Flanagan, Atlantic, March 2004As I've told Jody on numerous occasions, the best way for her to assuage my guilt is to hit it big in the Internet gold rush and then retire … Matthew Miller, New Republic, 17 Jan. 2000 He couldn't assuage his guilt over the divorce. a mother cooing to her toddler and assuaging his fear of the dark See More
Recent Examples on the WebIt was taken to assuage concerns after video footage was published last week showing her singing and dancing with Finnish celebrities at another party. Reuters, NBC News, 23 Aug. 2022 Meanwhile, the earnings season so far has failed to assuage growing pessimism about the macroeconomic outlook. Thyagaraju Adinarayan, Fortune, 24 Jan. 2022 The county government tweeted a list of tips to assuage the heat, including staying inside in air conditioning, drinking more water and less alcohol or caffeine, and wearing lightweight and light-colored clothing. Jason Fontelieu, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2022 Perhaps the gesture is meant to assuage your guilt — akin to buying a carbon offset.New York Times, 28 Dec. 2021 People tend to assuage their guilt by accusing others of their own transgressions. Amy Dickinson, oregonlive, 5 Oct. 2021 Well-meaning people who try to control another person’s grief may misunderstand that grief is a singular experience, or may be unwittingly trying to assuage their own discomfort. Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2022 In the excitement of having signed a term sheet, investors may be tempted to consider technical due diligence (tech DD) as a formality to assuage their colleagues and limited partners. Bernard Fraenkel, Forbes, 22 June 2022 Membership applications from Sweden and Finland, galvanized by the Russian invasion, are on hold while NATO weighs how to assuage Turkey’s anger over the two nations’ relationships with Kurdish separatists. Laura Kingstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English aswagen, from Anglo-French asuager, from Vulgar Latin *assuaviare, from Latin ad- + suavis sweet — more at sweet