assuage

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The Word of the Day for February 1 is: 

assuage   \uh-SWAYJ\   verb
         *1 : to lessen the intensity of (something that pains or distresses) : 
ease 
     2 : pacify, quiet 
     3 : to put an end to by satisfying : appease, quench

Example sentence:
          After her son's first fender bender, Patty tried to assuage his 
feelings of humiliation by sharing tales of her own misadventures behind the 
wheel.
 

Did you know?
          Scholars assume that the word "assuage" derives from "assuaviare," a 
Vulgar Latin term that combines the prefix "ad-" ("to" or "toward") and the 
Latin "suavis," meaning "sweet," "pleasant," or "agreeable."("Suavis" is also 
the source of the adjective "suave.") To "assuage" is to sweeten or make 
agreeable or tolerable, and it is far from the only English word for relieving 
or softening something difficult. Others include "allay," "alleviate," and 
"mitigate." "Allay" implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or 
alarms, while "alleviate" implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or 
distress. "Mitigate" suggests moderating or countering the force or intensity 
of something painful.





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