Word: mollify (verb)

Associations

"Mollify" means to calm someone down or make a situation less angry or tense. It is often used when you want to reduce someone’s anger or soften their feelings.

• When a friend is upset, you might try to mollify them by listening carefully and speaking kindly.
• A manager might mollify an angry customer by offering a solution or apology.
• Parents sometimes mollify their children by giving them a treat after a tantrum.

A similar word is "appease," but "appease" often means giving in to demands to avoid conflict, while "mollify" focuses more on calming feelings and emotions.

Substitution

You can use these words instead of "mollify," but they change the tone a bit:

• Calm: "He tried to calm the angry crowd." (more general)
• Soothe: "She soothed the crying baby." (more gentle, often physical or emotional comfort)
• Appease: "The government tried to appease the protesters." (suggests giving something to stop anger)

Deconstruction

The word "mollify" comes from Latin:

• Root: "mollis" meaning soft
• Suffix: "-fy" meaning to make or cause So, "mollify" literally means "to make soft," which fits the idea of softening someone’s anger or feelings.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you had to mollify someone? What did you do?
• How is mollifying different from ignoring someone’s anger?
• Can you use "mollify" in a sentence about a difficult situation at school or work?