appease

[uh-peez]

verb (used with object)

appeased, appeasing 

1. to bring to a state of peace, quiet, ease, calm, or contentment; pacify; soothe.

   to appease an angry king.

   Synonyms: placate, calm
   Antonyms: enrage

2. to satisfy, allay, or relieve; assuage.

   The fruit appeased his hunger.

   Antonyms: sharpen, arouse, increase

3. to yield or concede to the belligerent demands of (a nation, group, person, etc.) in a conciliatory effort, sometimes at the expense of justice or other principles.

   Antonyms: defy

appease

/ əˈpiːz /

verb

1. to calm, pacify, or soothe, esp by acceding to the demands of

2. to satisfy or quell (an appetite or thirst, etc)

Other Word Forms

• appeaser noun
• appeasable adjective
• appeasableness noun
• appeasably adverb
• appeasement noun
• appeasingly adverb
• nonappeasable adjective
• nonappeasing adjective
• unappeasable adjective
• unappeasably adverb
• unappeased adjective
• unappeasing adjective
• unappeasingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of appease¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English apesen, from Anglo-French apeser, Old French apais(i)er; equivalent to a- ⁵ + peace

Word History and Origins

Origin of appease¹

C16: from Old French apaisier, from pais peace, from Latin pax

Synonym Study

Appease, conciliate, propitiate imply trying to preserve or obtain peace. To appease is to make anxious overtures and often undue concessions to satisfy the demands of someone with a greed for power, territory, etc.: Chamberlain tried to appease Hitler at Munich. To conciliate is to win an enemy or opponent over by displaying a willingness to be just and fair: When mutual grievances are recognized, conciliation is possible. To propitiate is to admit a fault, and, by trying to make amends, to allay hostile feeling: to propitiate an offended neighbor.

Example Sentences

"I think the Australian government has had to make an urgent move to essentially appease the masses. But they haven't gone far enough."

From BBC

Palace chairman Steve Parish has helped appease his manager's very public angst by keeping the central defender despite agreeing to sell Guehi to Liverpool earlier on deadline day.

From BBC

She appeases me by telling me I will be the first person to know when it's finished.

From BBC

Celtic have just under a week to try to appease their disgruntled support and bolster the ranks.

From BBC

Such promises of future solutions have failed to appease some.

From BBC

Related Words

• allay 
• alleviate 
• assuage 
• blunt 
• calm 
• lessen 
• mitigate 
• mollify 
• placate 
• quell 
• soften 
• soothe