Word Verb
pacify
v.
C1 Advanced US /ˈpæsəˌfaɪ/ UK /pˈæsɪfˌaɪ/ paci·fy UK spelling pacified, pacifies, pacifying
Definition
v.to make someone stop being angry or upset. You use this when you want to calm a person or a situation down.
v.to act in a way that causes someone to stop being angry or violent. Transitive — requires a direct object, typically a person or a group.
Examples
“The nurse tried to pacify the crying baby with a soft toy.”
“The manager had to pacify the angry customers by offering them a full refund and a gift card.”
“Diplomats worked for weeks to pacify the regional tensions, eventually securing a ceasefire that allowed humanitarian aid to reach the affected population.”
Etymology
From Middle French pacifier, from Latin pāx (“peace”) + faciō (“I do, make”). Cognate with pay and peacify.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This entry
Origin Latin pāx
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated