pacify en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /ˈpæsɪfaɪ/ (US)
- /ˈpæsəfaɪ/ (US)
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle French pacifier, from Latin pāx (“peace”) + faciō (“to do, make”). Cognate with pay and peacify.
Meanings
-
(transitive) To bring peace to (a place or situation), by ending (or suppressing) war, fighting, violence, anger or agitation.
Their orders were to pacify the province by destroying resistance.
Near-synonyms: peacify, repacify, allay, locarnize
-
(figuratively, transitive) To mollify, placate or soothe (someone or something).
As to your frequent remarks in your letters about pacifying my friend, I have done everything I could and tried every expedient; but he is inveterate against you to a surprising degree, on what suspicions, though I think you have been told, you shall yet learn from me when you come.
1920, Cicero, translated by Evelyn Shirley Shuckburgh, The Letters of Cicero: The Whole Extant Correspondence in Chronological Order, volume 1 (hardcover), London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., page 11:Tell me that you'll call me / Just as soon as you get home / To pacify my heart while I'm alone / I don't like being alone
1977, Maze, “While I'm Alone”, in Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly:
-
(figuratively, transitive) To appease (someone).
Watt decided in the end that an examination of Erskine's room was essential, if his mind was to be pacified, in this connexion.
1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:Screaming feed me here Fill me up again Temporarily pacifying
2000, “The Hollow”, performed by A Perfect Circle:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pacifies | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| pacified | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| pacified | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| pacifying | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Antonyms
becraze · provoke · agitate · taunt · harass · enrage
Deriveds
unpacify · pacifier · repacify · pacifyingly · pacifiable · unpacifying
Hyponyms
Relateds
pacifistic · pacifier · pacifism · pacifist · calmness · peace · passive · pacific
Synonyms
allay · soothe · put at ease · appease · calm · placate · bring down · peacen · quell · allay · delay · temper · hose down · lull · placate · see others there · cool off · bestill · pacify · ameliorate · peacify · mollify · calm down · becalm · cool down · relax · locarnize · repacify · still · assuage · gentle
Translations (41)
cs uklidnit (appease — see also appease) · fa خواباندن (bring peace, ending fighting) · cs chlácholit (appease — see also appease) · fi rauhoittaa (bring peace, ending fighting) · bg умиротворявам (bring peace, ending fighting) · pt apaziguar (bring peace, ending fighting) · ang stillan (bring peace, ending fighting) · io pacigar (bring peace, ending fighting) · cs utišit (appease — see also appease) · de befrieden (bring peace, ending fighting) · mi whakaepaepa (appease — see also appease) · gl pacificar (bring peace, ending fighting) · es apaciguar (bring peace, ending fighting) · hy խաղաղել (bring peace, ending fighting) · es pacificar (bring peace, ending fighting) · fr pacifier (bring peace, ending fighting) · ast apanguar (bring peace, ending fighting) · sv pacificera (bring peace, ending fighting) · cs uklidnit (bring peace, ending fighting) · pt pacificar (bring peace, ending fighting) · mi whakamāriri (bring peace, ending fighting) · mi whakarangimārie (bring peace, ending fighting) · la pācificō (bring peace, ending fighting) · ga ceansaigh (bring peace, ending fighting) · mi whakangehe (bring peace, ending fighting) · bg укротявам (appease — see also appease) · ja 鎮める (bring peace, ending fighting) · got 𐌲𐌰𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌸𐍉𐌽 (bring peace, ending fighting) · de friedlich stimmen (appease — see also appease) · it pacificare (bring peace, ending fighting) · mi whakamāhaki (bring peace, ending fighting) · fi tyynnyttää (bring peace, ending fighting) · scn appaciari (bring peace, ending fighting) · hy խաղաղեցնել (bring peace, ending fighting) · cs uchlácholit (appease — see also appease) · el κατευνάζω (bring peace, ending fighting) · bg успокоявам (appease — see also appease) · mi whakamahuru (bring peace, ending fighting) · la pācō (bring peace, ending fighting) · mi whakamārie (bring peace, ending fighting) · fa فرونشاندن (bring peace, ending fighting)