Synonyms of assuage

assuage

verb

ə-ˈswāj 

1

as in to alleviate

to make more bearable or less severe

a mother cooing to her toddler and assuaging his fear of the dark

Synonyms & Similar Words

• alleviate
• relieve
• help
• soothe
• mitigate
• ease
• allay
• soften
• mollify
• heal
• palliate
• improve
• cure
• temper
• enhance
• remedy
• lighten
• moderate
• abate
• rectify
• ameliorate
• correct
• fix
• better
• repair
• amend
• refine
• enrich
• perfect
• reform
• mend
• emend
• meliorate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hurt
• impair
• harm
• exacerbate
• injure
• aggravate
• intensify
• heighten
• sharpen

2

as in to satisfy

to put a complete end to (a physical need or desire)

that huge meal certainly assuaged my hunger

Synonyms & Similar Words

• satisfy
• slake
• sate
• satiate
• quench
• alleviate
• relieve
• gratify
• indulge
• lighten
• cater (to)
• humor
• saturate
• surfeit
• cloy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stimulate
• arouse
• excite
• pique
• tease
• tantalize

3

as in to appease

to lessen the anger or agitation of

nothing would assuage the angry parent except the prompt dismissal of the teacher who had used corporal punishment without authorization

Synonyms & Similar Words

• appease
• placate
• soothe
• comfort
• mollify
• pacify
• calm
• propitiate
• please
• satisfy
• conciliate
• disarm
• console
• gentle
• delight
• ingratiate
• tranquilize
• gratify
• satiate
• quiet
• content
• indulge
• gladden
• sate
• coax
• quench
• endear (to)
• hush
• cajole
• flatter
• wheedle
• cater (to)
• baby
• humor
• spoil
• pamper
• sweeten
• coddle
• soft-soap
• overpraise
• adulate
• sweet-talk
• blandish
• mollycoddle
• blarney
• dulcify

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• anger
• outrage
• inflame
• infuriate
• aggravate
• enrage
• annoy
• bother
• irritate
• provoke
• get
• antagonize
• ire
• put out
• exasperate
• rouse
• rile
• irk
• pique
• rankle
• vex
• burn (up)
• cross
• chafe
• bug
• grate
• gall
• ruffle
• worry
• discomfort
• harass
• distress
• disturb
• upset
• roil
• incense
• persecute
• pester
• agitate
• madden
• unsettle
• perturb
• slight
• offend
• fret
• harry
• insult
• peeve
• nettle
• affront
• unhinge

Synonym Chooser

How is the word assuage different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of assuage are allay, alleviate, lighten, mitigate, and relieve. While all these words mean "to make something less grievous," assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

When might allay be a better fit than assuage?

While the synonyms allay and assuage are close in meaning, allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

When is it sensible to use alleviate instead of assuage?

Although the words alleviate and assuage have much in common, alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

When could lighten be used to replace assuage?

In some situations, the words lighten and assuage are roughly equivalent. However, lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

In what contexts can mitigate take the place of assuage?

The meanings of mitigate and assuage largely overlap; however, mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

Where would relieve be a reasonable alternative to assuage?

While in some cases nearly identical to assuage, relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of assuage

The announcement was an effort by Mexican authorities to assuage ongoing concerns about violence in Mexico ahead of the tournament. —ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026

But to what end, for whose benefit, or to assuage what fears? —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026

To fail a student means more work, more conflict and more professor-student negotiations, wherein the professor has to calculate how much time to allow to assuage the fears of 8-10 students in a class of, say, 75 students, the typical size of my classes over the years. —Richard E. Vatz, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2026

The White House is trying to assuage markets and consumers after the Consumer Price Index report released Friday found that inflation soared last month. —Brian Dakss, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!