mollify

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 7, 2007 is: mollify • \MAH-luh-fye\  • verb 1 : to soothe in temper or disposition : appease 2 : to reduce the rigidity of : soften 3 : to reduce in intensity : assuage, temper Examples: The clerk tried his best to mollify the irate customer. Did you know? "Mollify," "pacify," "appease," and "placate" all mean "to ease the anger or disturbance of," although each implies a slightly different way of pouring oil on troubled waters. "Pacify" suggests the restoration of a calm or peaceful state, while "appease" implies the quieting of insistent demands by making concessions; you can appease appetites and desires as well as persons. "Placate" is similar to "appease," but it often indicates a more complete transformation of bitterness to goodwill. "Mollify," with its root in Latin "mollis," meaning "soft," implies soothing hurt feelings or anger. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.