Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To calm the anger of; soothe or appease. synonym: pacify.
  • transitive verb To lessen, as in intensity; assuage.
  • transitive verb Archaic To reduce the rigidity of; soften.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To soften; make soft or tender.
  • To soothe; mitigate; appease; pacify; calm or quiet.
  • To make less harsh; qualify; tone down; moderate; abate.
  • To induce or incline by making tender.
  • Synonyms and To mitigate, ease, moderate.
  • To soothe, quiet.
  • To become soft or tender.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To soften; to make tender; to reduce the hardness, harshness, or asperity of; to qualify.
  • transitive verb To assuage, as pain or irritation, to appease, as excited feeling or passion; to pacify; to calm.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To ease a burden; make less painful; to comfort
  • verb To appease, pacify, gain the good will of.
  • verb To soften; to make tender

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate
  • verb make less rigid or softer
  • verb cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English mollifien, from Old French mollifier, from Late Latin mollificāre : Latin mollis, soft; see mel- in Indo-European roots + -ficāre, -fy.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin molliō ("soften, calm"), from mollis ("soft").

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Examples

  • If this place is any indication, there is nothing that will "mollify" his critics.

    Obama: Congress Must Act To Get Us Out Of Iraq 2009

  • As All Things Digital notes, that was one of the concessions that Epix (which is a budding cable channel in addition to a Web property) had to make to "mollify" its cable partners.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2010

  • The fact that she's a "straight shooter" on global warming may be related to the fact that she couldn't "mollify" people about

    Original Signal - Transmitting Buzz 2009

  • The fact that she's a "straight shooter" on global warming may be related to the fact that she couldn't "mollify" people about Thiomersal.

    Original Signal - Transmitting Buzz 2009

  • Obama memo from Gibbs and Simmons says Palin appointment done to "mollify" right wingers.

    Top Stories - Google News 2008

  • I had no illusions that this compromise would mollify the competing camps.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • I had no illusions that this compromise would mollify the competing camps.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • I had no illusions that this compromise would mollify the competing camps.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • I don't think that is accurate, but something that the people around them say to themselves to mollify their own rage at the narcissist, e.g., "Oh, they only act that way, because they lack self-esteem."

    Mark Goulston, M.D.: Rage -- Coming Soon From a Narcissist Near You M.D. Mark Goulston 2012

  • I don't think that is accurate, but something that the people around them say to themselves to mollify their own rage at the narcissist, e.g., "Oh, they only act that way, because they lack self-esteem."

    Mark Goulston, M.D.: Rage -- Coming Soon From a Narcissist Near You M.D. Mark Goulston 2012

Comments

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  • Molly.

    January 8, 2008

  • eh?

    January 8, 2008

  • Dictionary.com, He tried to mollify his critics with an apology.

    November 5, 2010

  • verb: to make someone angry less angry; placate

    In the morning, Janine was unable to mollify Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he'd had his cup of coffee.

    October 19, 2016