Word of the Day 05/03/25 Allay
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1_million_wordsAllay (verb)
allay [ uh-ley ]
verb (used with object), allayed, allaying.
1. to put (fear, doubt, suspicion, anger, etc.) to rest; calm; quiet.
2. to lessen or relieve; mitigate; alleviate: to allay pain.
Other Word Forms
al·lay er noun
un al·layed adjective
Related Words
alleviate, assuage, calm, ease, lessen, mitigate, mollify, pacify
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Synonyms
1. assuage, soften
2. ease, temper, mollify, lighten
Synonym Study
Allay, moderate, soothe mean to reduce excitement or emotion. To allay is to lay to rest or lull to a sense of security, possibly by making the emotion seem unjustified: to allay suspicion, anxiety, fears. To moderate is to tone down any excess and thus to restore calm: to moderate the expression of one's grief. To soothe is to exert a pacifying or tranquilizing influence: to soothe a terrified child.
Antonyms
1. excite
Origin: before 1000; Middle English aleyen, Old English ālecgan to put down, allay ( ā- a- + lecgan to lay ); spelling -ll- shows influence of the now obsolete allege (< Anglo-French, Old French aleg ( i ) er; allege ) to alleviate, allay
Example Sentences
The exercise has helped allay fears among some US allies that Donald Trump may upend the years-long military support it has provided in the region.
From BBC
For every European country, President Donald Trump's tariffs will be a severe blow, and national governments have been trying to allay the fears of industry and commerce.
From BBC
"We are contacting all patients personally to provide reassurance and to allay any concerns they may have. We are deeply sorry for the anxiety this has caused."
From BBC
The confirmation that it was only empty containers on board will allay some concerns about environmental damage and make the clean-up operation easier.
From BBC
Washington's decision on Wednesday to pause intelligence sharing with Ukraine did nothing to allay those worries.
From BBC
Now YOU come up with a sentence (or fic? or graphic?) that best illustrates the word.
allay [ uh-ley ]
verb (used with object), allayed, allaying.
1. to put (fear, doubt, suspicion, anger, etc.) to rest; calm; quiet.
2. to lessen or relieve; mitigate; alleviate: to allay pain.
Other Word Forms
al·lay er noun
un al·layed adjective
Related Words
alleviate, assuage, calm, ease, lessen, mitigate, mollify, pacify
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Synonyms
1. assuage, soften
2. ease, temper, mollify, lighten
Synonym Study
Allay, moderate, soothe mean to reduce excitement or emotion. To allay is to lay to rest or lull to a sense of security, possibly by making the emotion seem unjustified: to allay suspicion, anxiety, fears. To moderate is to tone down any excess and thus to restore calm: to moderate the expression of one's grief. To soothe is to exert a pacifying or tranquilizing influence: to soothe a terrified child.
Antonyms
1. excite
Origin: before 1000; Middle English aleyen, Old English ālecgan to put down, allay ( ā- a- + lecgan to lay ); spelling -ll- shows influence of the now obsolete allege (< Anglo-French, Old French aleg ( i ) er; allege ) to alleviate, allay
Example Sentences
The exercise has helped allay fears among some US allies that Donald Trump may upend the years-long military support it has provided in the region.
From BBC
For every European country, President Donald Trump's tariffs will be a severe blow, and national governments have been trying to allay the fears of industry and commerce.
From BBC
"We are contacting all patients personally to provide reassurance and to allay any concerns they may have. We are deeply sorry for the anxiety this has caused."
From BBC
The confirmation that it was only empty containers on board will allay some concerns about environmental damage and make the clean-up operation easier.
From BBC
Washington's decision on Wednesday to pause intelligence sharing with Ukraine did nothing to allay those worries.
From BBC
Now YOU come up with a sentence (or fic? or graphic?) that best illustrates the word.
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