Palliate
hardNeutral tonePAL-ee-ayt
verb
Definition
to make less severe without removing the cause; to ease or mitigate
Memory hook
PALLIATE: a kind PAL throws a warm coat (Latin pallium = cloak) over your shivering shoulders — it eases the cold without making the winter go away.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The new medication could palliate her symptoms but not cure the disease.”
“Officials tried to palliate public anger with vague promises of reform.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The new medication could ______ her symptoms but not cure the disease.”
Show answer
palliate
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Palliate is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "alleviate" or "mitigate" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "aggravate".
Related GRE Words
alleviate
To make suffering, deficiency, or a problem less severe
ameliorate
To make something bad or unsatisfactory better
assuage
To make an unpleasant feeling less intense; to satisfy an appetite or desire
mitigate
To make less severe, serious, or painful
facilitate
to make easier; to assist the progress of
qualify
To make less absolute; to modify or limit
Master palliate and 1,000+ GRE words
Learn through stories, practice with real GRE questions, and never forget with spaced repetition.