Appease

/əˈpiːz/ · verb

Meaning

To make quiet; to calm; to reduce (something) to a state of peace; to dispel (anger, hatred, etc.)..

Definitions by Sense

1. To make quiet; to calm; to reduce (something) to a state of peace; to dispel (anger, hatred, etc.).
2. To make conciliatory offerings or concessions to (someone) in an attempt to dispel their anger, aggression, etc.; to adapt to the demands of; to come to terms with.

Example Sentences

to appease the tumult of the ocean

'First, a little refreshment to reward my exertions. You may as well be quiet. It is not the first time, or the second, that your veins have appeased my thirst!'

They appeased the angry gods with burnt offerings.

Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has suggested climate change is “probably doing good” in a speech in London in which he likened policies to combat it to “primitive people once killing goats to appease the volcano gods” .

It's been slowly hacked back, amid fears of escalating costs, by politicians who have also increased those costs by adding expensive structures such as tunnels to appease opponents.

Synonyms for appease

Antonyms for appease

Related Words

Word Forms

• appeases
• appeasing
• appeased

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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