Meaning & use
assuages
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“assuages” is a form of “assuage”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
Makes an unpleasant feeling such as fear, guilt or anger weaker or easier to bear.
Grammar: Takes an object: assuages her fears.
Patterns
- assuage someone's fears
- assuage guilt
A kind word from the teacher assuages her nerves before each exam.
The promise of a refund assuages the customer's anger.
Volunteering at the shelter assuages his guilt about leaving his hometown.
verbtransitiveliterary
Satisfies or reduces a physical need such as hunger or thirst.
Grammar: Also takes an object: assuages his thirst.
Patterns
- assuage hunger
- assuage thirst
A bowl of soup assuages the hunger of the weary hikers.
Cold water barely assuages her thirst after the long climb.
The snack assuages the child's hunger until dinner.
Word forms
| base form | assuage |
|---|---|
| past tense | assuaged |
| past participle | assuaged |
| -ing form | assuaging |
Common combinations
- assuage fears
- The manager assuages fears about job losses.
- assuage guilt
- The gift assuages his guilt.
- assuage concerns
- The report assuages concerns over safety.
- assuage hunger
- A piece of bread assuages hunger for a short time.
- assuage grief
- Time slowly assuages grief.
Synonyms and how they differ
- soothes
- Soothes is warmer and more common, and suggests gentle comfort, while assuages is more formal.
- eases
- Eases is plain and general, and can describe pain or pressure as well as feelings.
- alleviates
- Alleviates is usually used for pain or a problem and sounds more clinical than assuages.
- appeases
- Appeases means to calm someone by giving in to their demands, so it implies compromise, which assuages does not.
Opposites
Word family
- assuage verb
- the base form meaning to calm or relieve
- assuaged verb
- past tense or participle
- assuagement noun
- the act of relieving something
- unassuaged adjective
- not relieved or calmed
Commonly confused: assuages or persuades? assuages or assures?
assuages vs persuades
Persuades means convinces someone to do something, while assuages calms a feeling.
assuages vs assures
Assures means tells someone confidently that something is true, while assuages reduces a feeling.
Practice
The company's clear apology partly ___ customers' anger about the delayed orders.
Choose one answer.
Assuages means makes feelings weaker, so an apology calming anger fits. Aggravates would make the anger worse.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “assuages”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.