Meaning & use
soothers
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“soothers” is a form of “soother”.
Meanings
nounpluralBritish
Rubber or plastic items that babies suck on to calm themselves.
Grammar: Plural of soother: the soothers are on the shelf.
The shop sells soothers in several sizes.
Parents often boil soothers to keep them clean.
She packed two soothers for the flight.
nounplural
Things or people that calm pain, worry or anger.
Grammar: Plural; usually followed by of or for: soothers of anxiety.
Patterns
- soothers for something
Warm baths and gentle music are good soothers after a hard day.
Herbal teas are popular soothers for sore throats.
The volunteers were soothers of fear in the crowded shelter.
Word forms
| singular | soother |
|---|
Common combinations
- baby soothers
- Baby soothers come in many shapes.
- natural soothers
- Chamomile and lavender are natural soothers.
- throat soothers
- Honey drops work as throat soothers.
- stress soothers
- Walking is one of my favorite stress soothers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pacifiers
- Pacifiers is the American word for baby soothers.
- dummies
- Dummies is the British informal word for baby soothers.
- comforters
- Comforters can mean people or objects that console, and also blankets, so it is less precise.
- calmers
- Calmers is rare and describes anything that reduces agitation.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: soothers or soothsayers?
soothers vs soothsayers
Soothsayers predict the future, and have nothing to do with calming.
Practice
A British parent asks, Where are the baby's ___?
Choose one answer.
Soothers are baby pacifiers in British usage. Soothsayers sounds similar but are fortune tellers.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “soothers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.