Assuage
/əˈsweɪdʒ/
verbC1
Definition
To assuage means to reduce or calm negative feelings like pain, fear, or sadness. It is about making something bad feel better or easier to handle. People often use it when talking about comforting someone or easing difficult emotions.
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See It in Action
To make a painful or bad feeling less strong
- •The mother tried to assuage her child's fear after the loud noise.
- •The doctor gave medicine to assuage the patient's pain.
- •His kind words helped assuage her sadness.
To calm or satisfy a desire or need
- •The company tried to assuage customer complaints by offering refunds.
- •Eating a snack can assuage hunger before dinner.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "assuage" like "help," but more about making pain or worry smaller and softer, not just fixing a problem.
- ✓Picture a mother gently stroking a child's head to make the child feel better after a fall.
- ✓It's the feeling when someone says kind words that calm your nervous heart before a big test.
- ✓Sounds like "a-SWAYJ" → imagine a soft, gentle wave (sway) that smooths rough water, calming the storm inside.
- ✓In stories, heroes often assuage villagers' fears by promising safety after danger passes.
- ✓NOT like "ignore" (pretending problem is not there), assuage means to actively reduce the pain or fear.
- ✓NOT like "solve" (fix the problem fully), assuage only makes the feeling less strong, not always removing the problem.
- ✓NOT like "hurt" (cause pain), assuage is the opposite—it lessens pain or discomfort.
Try Other Words
- •Alleviate: to make pain or problems less severe (Use when talking about reducing physical pain or problems)
- •Calm: to make someone less worried or angry (Use when focusing on emotions or fears)
- •Relieve: to reduce pain or stress (Use when the problem is physical or emotional and you want to reduce it)
- •Soothe: to gently calm pain or emotions (Use when the action is gentle and comforting)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: from Latin "assuāgāre" - "ad-" (to) + "suāgāre" (to sweeten, soften)
- •Etymology: Latin origin meaning to soften or make sweet, later used for easing pain or feelings
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 1400s to mean easing pain or distress
- •Modern usage: Often used in formal or literary contexts to talk about calming emotions or reducing pain
Reflect & Connect
•How can you assuage someone's fear or sadness in your culture or family?
•Can assuaging a problem sometimes stop it from being fixed completely? Why or why not?
Fill in the blanks
1.She tried to assuage his anger by ___ kind words and a gentle touch.
2.Medicine is often used to assuage ___ after an injury.
3.Unlike ignoring a problem, to assuage means to ___ the feeling or pain.
4.The company offered discounts to assuage customer ___ about the late delivery.
5.A warm hug can assuage feelings of ___ or loneliness.
6.When people assuage their hunger, they usually eat something ___ dinner.
7.To assuage fear, people often seek ___ or information that makes them feel safe.