allay

Verb
US[uh-ley]/əˈleɪ/2 syllables
Synonyms: stillrelieveeasequenchslakeassuage

Open English WordNet

Verb (2)allayed, allaying

  1. lessen the intensity of or calm“The news eased my conscience”“still the fears”Synonyms: stillrelieveeaseMore general comfort, sootheMore specific abreact
  2. satisfy (thirst)“The cold water quenched his thirst”Synonyms: quenchslakeassuageMore general fit, conform toInvolves consume, ingest

Related words relief noun, easement noun

Word of the day · Oct 19About this word
notoriousadjective

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Al·lay′ (…), transitive verb [past tense & past participle Allayed (…); present participle & verbal noun Allaying.]

Origin: OE. alaien, aleggen, to lay down, put down, humble, put an end to, AS. ālecgan; ā- (cf. Goth. us-, G. er-, orig. meaning out) + lecgan to lay; but confused with old forms of allege, alloy, alegge. See Lay.

1. To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm; as, to allay popular excitement; to allay the tumult of the passions.

2. To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate; as, to allay the severity of affliction or the bitterness of adversity.

It would allay the burning quality of that fell poison.— William Shakespeare

Synonyms: To alleviate; check; repress; assuage; appease; abate; subdue; destroy; compose; soothe; calm; quiet. See Alleviate.

Al·lay′ (…), transitive verb

To diminish in strength; to abate; to subside. “When the rage allays.” William Shakespeare

Al·lay′ noun

Alleviation; abatement; check. obsolete

Al·lay′ noun

Alloy. obsolete Geoffrey Chaucer

Al·lay′ transitive verb

To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate. archaic Thomas Fuller

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

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