Placate
/pləˈkeɪt/
verbB2
Definition
To placate someone means to stop them from being angry or upset by doing or saying something that makes them feel better. It is often used when you want to make peace or reduce conflict between people.
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See It in Action
To calm or soothe anger or upset feelings
- •He tried to placate his angry boss by apologizing.
- •The government tried to placate the protesters with new promises.
- •She placated her crying baby by gently rocking him.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "placate" like "calm," but with the idea that you are actively trying to make someone less angry by giving something or saying something kind.
- ✓Picture a person who is frowning and upset, then someone offers a small gift or kind words, and the person’s face softens and they relax.
- ✓It's the feeling when you say "I'm sorry" or give a small gift to a friend who is mad at you, and they start to feel better.
- ✓Sounds like "play-KATE" → imagine playing a game with someone named Kate to make her happy again.
- ✓Think of a parent giving a child a treat after the child was upset to make them feel better.
- ✓NOT like "ignore" (pretend problem doesn’t exist), "placate" means you actively do something to reduce anger.
- ✓NOT like "comfort" (which is more about making someone feel better emotionally), "placate" often involves fixing a problem or offering something to stop anger.
- ✓NOT like "force" or "punish," placate is gentle and aims to create peace.
Try Other Words
- •Soothe: to make someone feel less upset or angry (Use when focusing on emotional comfort)
- •Appease: to satisfy or calm someone by giving what they want (Use when giving something to stop anger)
- •Mollify: to reduce anger or make someone less angry (Use in formal or written contexts)
Unboxing
- •Prefix/root/suffix: "plac-" from Latin "placare" meaning to please or calm + "-ate" verb ending meaning to cause an action
- •Etymology: From Latin "placatus," past participle of "placare," meaning to calm or please
- •Historical development: Used since the 1500s in English to mean calming anger or making peace
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in formal or written English to describe actions that reduce anger or conflict
Reflect & Connect
•Can trying to placate someone sometimes make a problem worse? Why or why not?
•How do you decide when to placate someone versus when to be honest about your feelings?
Fill in the blanks
1.He tried to placate his friend ___ giving her a small gift after their argument.
2.The manager placated the angry customers by ___ a refund.
3.Sometimes people placate others because they want to avoid ___.
4.She placated her upset child by ___ a favorite toy.
5.Placate often means to reduce anger by ___ or action.
6.You cannot placate someone who is angry if you ___ what made them upset.
7.The government tried to placate the crowd, but the promises were not enough to ___ the anger.