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Webster 1913 Edition


Assuage

As-suage′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Assuaged
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Assuaging
.]
[OE.
asuagen
,
aswagen
, OF.
asoagier
,
asuagier
, fr.
assouagier
, fr. L.
ad
+
suavis
sweet. See
Sweet
.]
To soften, in a figurative sense; to allay, mitigate, ease, or lessen, as heat, pain, or grief; to appease or pacify, as passion or tumult; to satisfy, as appetite or desire.
Refreshing winds the summer’s heat
assuage
.
Addison.
To
assuage
the sorrows of a desolate old man
Burke.
The fount at which the panting mind
assuages

Her thirst of knowledge.
Byron.
Syn. – To alleviate; mitigate; appease; soothe; calm; tranquilize; relieve. See
Alleviate
.

As-suage′

,
Verb.
I.
To abate or subside.
[Archaic]
“The waters assuaged.”
Gen. vii. 1.
The plague being come to a crisis, its fury began to
assuage
.
De Foe.

Webster 1828 Edition


Assuage

ASSUA'GE

,
Verb.
T.
To soften, in a figurative sense; to allay, mitigate, ease or lessen, as pain or grief; to appease or pacify, as passion or tumult. In strictness, it signifies rather to moderate, than to quiet, tranquilize or reduce to perfect peace or ease.

ASSUA'GE

,
Verb.
I.
To abate or subside.
The waters assuaged. Gen. 8.
But I apprehend the sense is, the waters were checked; Heb.

Definition 2024


assuage

assuage

English

Alternative forms

Verb

assuage (third-person singular simple present assuages, present participle assuaging, simple past and past participle assuaged)

  1. (transitive) To lessen the intensity of, to mitigate or relieve (hunger, emotion, pain etc.).
    • Addison
      Refreshing winds the summer's heat assuage.
    • Burke
      to assuage the sorrows of a desolate old man
    • Byron
      the fount at which the panting mind assuages / her thirst of knowledge
    • 1864 November 21, Abraham Lincoln (signed) or John Hay, letter to Mrs. Bixby in Boston
      I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost.
  2. (transitive) To pacify or soothe (someone).
  3. (intransitive, obsolete) To calm down, become less violent (of passion, hunger etc.); to subside, to abate.

Derived terms

Translations

References

  • assuage in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
  • assuage in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams