assuage

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: as=suage

CIDE DICTIONARY

assuage, v. t. [OE. asuagen, aswagen, OF. asoagier, asuagier, fr. assouagier, fr. L. ad + suavis sweet. See Sweet.].

 To soften, in a figurative sense; to allay, mitigate, ease, or lessen, as heat, pain, or grief; to appease or pacify, as passion or tumult; to satisfy, as appetite or desire.  [1913 Webster]
"Refreshing winds the summer's heat assuage."  [1913 Webster]
"To assuage the sorrows of a desolate old man"  [1913 Webster]
"The fount at which the panting mind assuages
Her thirst of knowledge."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To alleviate; mitigate; appease; soothe; calm; tranquilize; relieve. See Alleviate.

assuage, v. i. 

 To abate or subside.  Gen. vii. 1.  [1913 Webster]
"The plague being come to a crisis, its fury began to assuage."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

assuage, v.tr.
1 calm or soothe (a person, pain, etc.).
2 appease or relieve (an appetite or desire).

Derivative

assuagement n. assuager n.

Etymology

ME f. OF as(s)ouagier ult. f. L suavis sweet

THESAURUS

assuage

abate, adjust to, allay, alleviate, alter, anesthetize, appease, attemper, bank the fire, benumb, blunt, box in, chasten, circumscribe, condition, constrain, control, cushion, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deaden the pain, diminish, downplay, dull, ease, ease matters, extenuate, feast, feed, foment, give relief, gratify, hedge, hedge about, keep within bounds, lay, leaven, lenify, lessen, lighten, limit, lull, mitigate, moderate, modify, modulate, mollify, narrow, numb, obtund, pad, palliate, play down, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, qualify, quench, reduce, reduce the temperature, regale, regulate by, relieve, restrain, restrict, salve, sate, satiate, satisfy, season, set conditions, set limits, slacken, slake, slow down, smother, sober, sober down, soften, soothe, stifle, stupe, subdue, suppress, tame, temper, tone down, tune down, underplay, weaken

ROGET THESAURUS

assuage

Moderation

VB be moderate, keep within bounds, keep within compass, sober down, settle down, keep the peace, remit, relent, take in sail, moderate, soften, mitigate, temper, accoy, attemper, contemper, mollify, lenify, dulcify, dull, take off the edge, blunt, obtund, sheathe, subdue, chasten, sober down, tone down, smooth down, weaken, lessen, check palliate, tranquilize, pacify, assuage, appease, swag, lull, soothe, compose, still, calm, calm down, cool, quiet, hush, quell, sober, pacify, tame, damp, lay, allay, rebate, slacken, smooth, alleviate, rock to sleep, deaden, smooth, throw cold water on, throw a wet blanket over, turn off, slake, curb, tame, smooth over, pour oil on the waves, pour oil on the troubled waters, pour balm into, mattre de l'eau dans son vin, go out like a lamb, roar you as gently as any sucking dove.

Relief

VB relieve, ease, alleviate, mitigate, palliate, soothe, salve, soften, soften down, foment, stupe, poultice, assuage, allay, cheer, comfort, console, enliven, encourage, bear up, pat on the back, give comfort, set at ease, gladden the heart, cheer the heart, inspirit, invigorate, remedy, cure, refresh, pour balm into, pour oil on, smooth the ruffled brow of care, temper the wind to the shorn lamb, lay the flattering unction to one's soul, disburden, take a load off one's chest, get a load off one's chest, take off a load of care, be relieved, breathe more freely, draw a long breath, take comfort, dry the tears, dry the eyes, wipe the tears, wipe the eyes.