mollify
verb
mol·li·fy ˈmä-lə-ˌfī 
mollified; mollifying
transitive verb
1
: to soothe in temper or disposition : appease
mollified the staff with a raise
2
: to reduce the rigidity of : soften
Shaving cream mollifies the beard.
3
: to reduce in intensity : assuage, temper
Time mollified his anger.
intransitive verb
archaic : soften, relent
mollification
ˌmä-lə-fə-ˈkā-shən
noun 
Did you know?
The Difference Between Mollify, Appease, and Placate
Mollify, like its synonyms pacify, appease, and placate, means "to ease the anger or disturbance of." But mollify is particularly well-suited for referring to an act of soothing hurt feelings or anger; it comes from the Latin mollis, meaning "soft."
Synonyms
- appease
- assuage
- conciliate
- disarm
- gentle
- pacify
- placate
- propitiate
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
He tried to mollify his critics with an apology. All attempts to mollify the extremists have failed. The landlord fixed the heat, but the tenants still were not mollified.
Recent Examples on the Web In an attempt to mollify regulators, Didi announced plans to move its listing from New York to Hong Kong. 
Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 8 June 2022 One was his decision to limit weapons sales to Taiwan to mollify Beijing, opting for stability over ideology. Robert D. Kaplan, WSJ, 26 Aug. 2022 But the guides have done little to mollify activists and some students who said the new language decree left them feeling ostracized. New York Times, 20 July 2022 As tech staffers raced to fix the problem and mollify unhappy customers, Mr. Armstrong offered encouragement, assuring a tech employee the CEO stood behind him. Gregory Zuckerman, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022 Didi’s investors voted in May to delist from the New York Stock Exchange, in hopes that a return home would help mollify Beijing regulators. Pei-lin Wu, Washington Post, 21 July 2022 Most states have some form of exemptions for reasons of personal or religious beliefs, a legacy from the 1960s and ’70s, when, as a way to mollify resistance and get mandates passed, legislators included these loopholes. New York Times, 25 May 2022 The Prime Minister agreed to lift fuel price caps, increase taxes on the wealthy and slash the budget deficit in order to mollify the lender-of-last-resort. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 June 2022 In response, American leaders have made significant efforts to mollify them. Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 23 June 2022 See More
Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 8 June 2022 One was his decision to limit weapons sales to Taiwan to mollify Beijing, opting for stability over ideology. Robert D. Kaplan, WSJ, 26 Aug. 2022 But the guides have done little to mollify activists and some students who said the new language decree left them feeling ostracized. New York Times, 20 July 2022 As tech staffers raced to fix the problem and mollify unhappy customers, Mr. Armstrong offered encouragement, assuring a tech employee the CEO stood behind him. Gregory Zuckerman, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022 Didi’s investors voted in May to delist from the New York Stock Exchange, in hopes that a return home would help mollify Beijing regulators. Pei-lin Wu, Washington Post, 21 July 2022 Most states have some form of exemptions for reasons of personal or religious beliefs, a legacy from the 1960s and ’70s, when, as a way to mollify resistance and get mandates passed, legislators included these loopholes. New York Times, 25 May 2022 The Prime Minister agreed to lift fuel price caps, increase taxes on the wealthy and slash the budget deficit in order to mollify the lender-of-last-resort. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 June 2022 In response, American leaders have made significant efforts to mollify them. Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 23 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English mollifien, from Middle French mollifier, from Late Latin mollificare, from Latin mollis soft; akin to Greek amaldynein to soften, Sanskrit mṛdu soft, and probably to Greek malakos soft, amblys dull, Old English meltan to melt
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Kids Definition
mollify
verb
mol·li·fy ˈmä-lə-ˌfī
mollified; mollifying
: to soothe in temper or disposition
mollifying 1 of 2
adjective
as in appeasing
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility a future son-in-law using mollifying flattery to overcome a bad first impression Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- appeasing
- placating
- pacifying
- conciliatory
- conciliating
- quieting
- soothing
- placatory
- comforting
- calming
- benevolent
- peacemaking
- disarming
- kind
- pacific
- propitiatory
- relaxing
- peaceful
- gentle
- ingratiating
- satisfying
- kindly
- obliging
- winning
- tranquilizing
- lulling
- tranquillizing
- endearing
- peaceable
- passive
- winsome
- nonbelligerent
- amiable
- unassertive
- surrendering
- yielding
- unaggressive
- agreeable
- amicable
- submissive
- affable
- good-natured
- genial
- good-tempered
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- provoking
- inflammatory
- aggravating
- irritating
- nagging
- antagonizing
- irksome
- exasperating
- vexing
- provocative
- annoying
- abrasive
- maddening
- frustrating
- galling
- hostile
- offensive
- engaging
- infuriating
- riling
- maddening
- antagonistic
- rankling
- nettling
- inimical
- nettlesome
- belligerent
- unfriendly
- antipathetic
- bellicose
- combative
- inhospitable
- chafing
- confrontational
- incensing
- unsympathetic
- aggressive
- military
- truculent
- pugnacious
- assertive
- quarrelsome
- warlike
- militant
- contentious
- argumentative
- agonistic
- militaristic
- martial
- scrappy
mollifying
2 of 2verb
1
as in placating
to lessen the anger or agitation of an apology would probably mollify your friend Synonyms & Similar Words
- appeasing
- placating
- comforting
- soothing
- calming
- pacifying
- consoling
- propitiating
- pleasing
- conciliating
- assuaging
- disarming
- satisfying
- gentling
- quieting
- ingratiating
- delighting
- contenting
- tranquilizing
- coaxing
- gratifying
- humoring
- tranquillizing
- cajoling
- wheedling
- hushing
- gladdening
- flattering
- adulating
- satiating
- indulging
- pampering
- quenching
- coddling
- mollycoddling
- sating
- spoiling
- sweetening
- babying
- overpraising
- sweet-talking
- endearing (to)
- blandishing
- blarneying
- dulcifying
- soft-soaping
- catering (to)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- inflaming
- angering
- antagonizing
- enraging
- incensing
- riling
- aggravating
- infuriating
- irritating
- outraging
- maddening
- rankling
- bothering
- getting
- provoking
- nettling
- irking
- crossing
- exasperating
- ruffling
- vexing
- iring
- rousing
- annoying
- galling
- roiling
- grating
- enflaming
- bugging
- chafing
- piquing
- burning (up)
- harassing
- pestering
- persecuting
- agitating
- harrying
- putting out
- distressing
- upsetting
- perturbing
- disturbing
- worrying
- insulting
- fretting
- discomforting
- unsettling
- peeving
- offending
- slighting
- affronting
- unhinging
2
as in alleviating
to make more bearable or less severe a friendly gesture that did a lot to mollify their suspicions about the new neighbor Synonyms & Similar Words
- alleviating
- relieving
- soothing
- helping
- mitigating
- easing
- softening
- assuaging
- allaying
- healing
- palliating
- improving
- curing
- tempering
- enhancing
- remedying
- ameliorating
- moderating
- correcting
- lightening
- refining
- repairing
- rectifying
- reforming
- fixing
- amending
- enriching
- abating
- perfecting
- emending
- mending
- bettering
- meliorating
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- aggravating
- impairing
- hurting
- exacerbating
- harming
- intensifying
- injuring
- sharpening
- heightening