Meaning & use
appeased
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“appeased” is a form of “appease”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Made someone calmer or less angry by giving them what they wanted.
Grammar: This is the past tense and past participle of 'appease'. It takes an object: 'She appeased the customer.'
Patterns
- appease someone
- appease a crowd
- appease anger
The manager appeased the angry customer with a full refund.
He tried to appease his critics by promising reforms.
Her calm apology appeased the crowd.
verbtransitive
Satisfied a demand or desire, often by giving in to it.
Grammar: Used with abstract nouns like 'demands', 'hunger', or 'curiosity'.
Patterns
- appease demands
- appease hunger
- appease curiosity
The government appeased the protesters' demands for change.
A quick snack appeased his hunger until dinner.
No amount of money could appease her desire for justice.
Word forms
| third person singular | appeases |
|---|---|
| past tense | appeased |
| past participle | appeased |
| -ing form | appeasing |
Common combinations
- appease someone with something
- They appeased the child with a toy.
- appease a mob
- The mayor tried to appease the mob by speaking to them.
- appease one's conscience
- He donated money to appease his conscience.
- attempt to appease
- The company attempted to appease the union.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pacify
- Similar, but often implies using force or authority to stop violence, while 'appease' suggests giving in to demands.
- placate
- Very close, but 'placate' is more formal and often used for people's feelings, not abstract things like hunger.
- mollify
- Means to make someone less angry, usually by gentle words; 'appease' can also involve actions or concessions.
Opposites
Word family
- appeasement noun
- The act of giving in to demands to keep peace.
- appeasing adjective
- Having the effect of calming or satisfying someone.
Commonly confused: appeased or appeal? appeased or appease?
appeased vs appeal
Means to make a serious request or to attract; 'appease' means to calm by giving in.
appeased vs appease
This is the base form; 'appeased' is past tense. Do not confuse with 'appeased' as an adjective.
Practice
The mother ______ the crying baby by giving him a bottle.
Choose one answer.
'Appease' is transitive and takes a direct object, so no preposition is needed. 'Appeased to' and 'appeased with' are wrong because 'appease' does not take those prepositions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “appeased”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.