mollify
MAHL-uh-fy
/ˈmɒl.ɪ.faɪ/
Appease the anger or anxiety of someone; soften in temper.
Focuses on softening hostility or anger, often through concessions, apologies, or soothing words.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'mollificare', combining 'mollis' (soft) and 'facere' (to make). To mollify literally means 'to make soft'—taking a hardened, angry heart and softening it with gentle treatment.
Word relationships
- appease: Appease can carry a negative connotation of giving in to unreasonable demands out of weakness; mollify focuses on softening bad temper.
- placate: Placate means making someone less angry by making a gesture, almost identical to mollify.
- infuriate: Infuriate means to make extremely angry.
- antagonize: Antagonize means to provoke hostile feelings deliberately.
Commonly confused with
- mortify: Mortify means to embarrass deeply; mollify means to calm anger.
Word family
- mollification (noun): The act of mollifying or state of being mollified.
Collocations
- mollify angry voters
- mollify critics
- attempt to mollify
- mollify the opposition
Idioms & expressions
- pour oil on troubled waters
Example sentences
- "The manager offered a full refund and a voucher to mollify the furious customer." Customer relations
- "Concessions were added to the treaty to mollify hardline political opponents." Political negotiation
Memory hook
MOLLIFY = MAKE MOLL (soft). Think of softening hard candy. Softening hard anger.
When not to use
Do not use to describe soothing physical skin irritation (use soothe instead).
Fun facts
- The word 'mollusk' (squid, octopus, snail) shares the same Latin root 'mollis' because of their soft, boneless bodies!
Explore more words
placate, conciliate, pacify, appease, conciliation, propitiate
Also appears in
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