Post on 23-Feb-2016
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LESSON 5: Words Referring to Lessening Pain, Tension, and
Conflict
Allay• The government released a report
to allay fears about the disease outbreak.
• Joe allayed his parents’ concern when he called to let them know he was all right.
• A good massage often allays the pain in my back.
Verb
To lessen fear or pain; to calm
Alleviate• Rebecca often takes Tylenol to
alleviate the pain from her headaches.
• Looking at pictures of my family alleviated my homesickness.
• The government hoped to alleviate unemployment by instituting a new jobs program.
Verb
To lessen pain and discomfort
Ameliorate• Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle did
much to ameliorate the poor conditions of the meatpacking industry.
• Finishing my homework on time helped to ameliorate my low grades.
• A good joke always ameliorates Susannah's bad mood.
Verb
To make better; to lessen pain, difficulty, or tension
Appease• King John appeased the angry
nobles by signing the Magna Carta and granting them rights.
• Neville Chamberlain was unable to prevent World War II through his policy of appeasing Hitler.
• Alex was able to appease his angry sister by apologizing for their fight.
Verb
To pacify
Assuage• The only way to assuage my guilt
was to confess to what I had done. • The news report assuaged our
curiosity about the fire.
• Peter’s explanation of the extra charges failed to assuage the customer’s anger.
Verb
To alleviate; to lessen pain or conflict; pacify
Conciliate• The managers agreed to make
concessions to conciliate the striking workers.
• Daniel reached out his hand in a gesture of conciliation.
• My best friend and I conciliated after our fight.
Verb
To win a person over through special considerations or persuasive methods; reconcile
Mediate• The mediator attempted to help
the two parties reach a compromise.
• Before the United States entered World War I, Woodrow Wilson offered to mediate peace between the warring nations.
• My father mediated the argument between my sisters.
Verb
To act as a go-between in settling conflicts
Mitigate• The criminal avoided a prison
sentence because of mitigating circumstances relating to the crime.
• Mother Teresa worked to mitigate hunger and suffering in India.
• The National Guard’s quick response mitigated the effects of the flood.
Verb
To make or become less severe; to lessen pain or damage
Mollify• A pacifier can often mollify a crying
baby.
• John mollified the effects of unemployment by taking a part-time job.
• The businessman would often mollify angry clients by taking them out to dinner.
Verb
To pacify, soothe, or appease; to make less severe or violent
Pacify• The Romans were able to pacify
Northern Africa by defeating the Carthaginians.
• The announcer attempted to pacify the angry crowd when the band arrived late to the concert.
• The British army’s attempts at pacification were unsuccessful.
Verb
To calm; to make peaceful; to restore to a tranquil state
Placate• Protesters during the Civil Rights
Movement were not placated until they received equal rights.
• Amy placated her employees by giving them the afternoon off.
• A losing baseball team often attempts to placate fans by firing the manager.
Verb
To make calm; to soothe
Quell• The mother quelled her crying
daughter with a stern look. • The king traveled to the town
himself to quell the peasant uprising.
• President’s Roosevelt’s “fireside chats” quelled panic among Americans during the Great Depression and World War I.
Verb
To pacify; to subdue; to quiet down