Assuage
harduh-SWAYJ
verb
Definition
To make an unpleasant feeling less intense; to satisfy an appetite or desire
Examples
“The manager tried to assuage employees' concerns about job security.”
“Nothing could assuage his guilt over the mistake.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Assuage is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "alleviate" or "soothe" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "aggravate".
Related GRE Words
pacify
To bring peace to; to calm down; to appease
ameliorate
To make something bad or unsatisfactory better
mollify
To appease the anger or anxiety of someone
alleviate
To make suffering, deficiency, or a problem less severe
appease
To pacify or placate someone by acceding to their demands
mitigate
To make less severe, serious, or painful
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