Word: propitiate (verb)

Associations

"Propitiate" means to calm or please someone, especially a person who is angry or upset, by doing something to make them feel better.

• To propitiate a god or spirit means to do something to avoid their anger, like offering gifts or prayers.
• You can propitiate a friend by apologizing when you have hurt their feelings.
• In stories or history, people often propitiate rulers or leaders by showing respect or giving presents to gain favor. A similar word is "appease." The difference is that "appease" often means to stop someone’s anger by giving them what they want, sometimes with a negative feeling of giving in. "Propitiate" focuses more on winning goodwill or forgiveness, often with respect or kindness.

Substitution

Other words you can use instead of "propitiate" include:

• appease – to calm someone by meeting their demands
• placate – to make someone less angry or hostile
• mollify – to soften someone's anger or feelings Using "appease" might sound like you are giving in, while "propitiate" sounds more like you are trying to gain favor or forgiveness.

Deconstruction

"Propitiate" comes from Latin "propitiare," which means "to make favorably inclined."

• Prefix: "pro-" means "forward" or "in favor of."
• Root: "piti" comes from "pietas," meaning "piety" or "duty," related to respect or kindness.
• Suffix: "-ate" turns the word into a verb. So, "propitiate" literally means to act in a way that moves someone to be favorable or kind toward you.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you needed to propitiate someone? How did you do it?
• How is propitiating different from just apologizing?
• In what situations might propitiation be important, like in friendships, work, or culture?