placate
/pləˈkeɪt
/ /ˈplakeɪt / /ˈpleɪkeɪt/verb [with object]
Make (someone) less angry or hostile: they attempted to placate the students with promises...
- This doesn't placate anyone or calm things down or keep order.
- She eventually storms off into another part of the house and he follows in an attempt to placate her.
- Eventually, he is placated and leaves the scene.
Derivatives
placating
- ‘I'm sure it'll be fine,’ he said with a placating hand on my arm.
- ‘It's not your fault,’ she said in what she hoped was a placating tone.
- Raymond spread his hands out before him in a placating gesture.
placatingly
- ‘Girls, girls,’ he said placatingly as he entered.
- ‘I was just saying,’ said the second placatingly, getting out a heavy key.
- ‘Sure you do Jay,’ she told him placatingly and he stuck out his lower lip in an obvious pout.
placation
- But this is largely a hypothetical concern, given the reality of the court processes involved and the oft-stated placations of potential claimants that public access would be preserved even if such claims were successful.
- The need for consensus and placation is a particularly human perversion of science, but it happens all too often because office and personal politics make it necessary.
- With a brother like mine, placation soon becomes a necessary part of life.
Origin
Late 17th century: from Latin placat- 'appeased', from the verb placare.