verb
mollify
MAH-luh-fy/ˈmɑːlɪfaɪ/
To make someone less angry or hostile.
A sincere apology usually mollifies even the most irritated customer.
Etymology
The pieces mean “make soft.” Originally used for softening a substance, mollify came to describe softening someone's temper—making anger or hostility less severe.
In context
rushed out to mollify him
More examples
- The refund did little to mollify the angry passengers.
- Mollified by her explanation, he stopped arguing.
- She spends much of the meeting mollifying frustrated neighbors.
Forms
mollify · mollifies · mollified · mollifying
mollification noun — The act of easing someone's anger.