Meaning & use
appeasingly
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Meaning
adverb
In a manner intended to calm someone or make them less angry, often by giving in to demands.
Grammar: Used to describe how an action is done, typically modifying a verb like 'smile', 'speak', or 'act'.
Patterns
- smile appeasingly
- speak appeasingly
- act appeasingly
She smiled appeasingly, hoping to avoid an argument.
He spoke appeasingly, trying to soothe the angry customer.
Common combinations
- smile appeasingly
- The waiter smiled appeasingly after spilling the drink.
- speak appeasingly
- He spoke appeasingly to the protesters, promising to listen.
- act appeasingly
- The government acted appeasingly toward the rebels, hoping to end the conflict.
Synonyms and how they differ
- placatingly
- Similar but often implies trying to stop someone from being angry by giving them what they want; 'appeasingly' is broader and can also mean just trying to calm.
- conciliatorily
- More formal and suggests making peace after a disagreement; 'appeasingly' can be used in less formal contexts.
Opposites
Word family
- appease verb
- To make someone less angry by giving in to their demands.
- appeasement noun
- The act of pacifying or placating someone, often by making concessions.
- appeasing adjective
- Having the effect of calming or soothing.
Practice
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: The negotiator spoke ______ to calm the angry crowd.
Choose one answer.
The adverb 'appeasingly' correctly modifies the verb 'spoke' to describe how he spoke. 'Appeasing' is an adjective or participle, 'appeased' is a past tense verb, and 'appease' is the base verb; none fit grammatically after 'spoke' to describe manner.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “appeasingly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.