1
as in relaxing
tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress
a pacifying treat of milk and cookies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in appeasing
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility
the referee adopted a pacifying tone to try to calm everyone down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in comforting
to lessen the anger or agitation of
the only thing that would pacify the child and end the tantrum was a new toy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subduing
to bring under one's control by force of arms
additional ground forces were needed to occupy those areas that had already been pacified
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifying
Verb
-
Nicholas has since let go of the fear of appeasing the beauty standards of others.—
Celeste Polanco,
Essence,
1 Apr. 2025 -
Knee-jerk reactions aimed at appeasing stakeholders can backfire, raising questions about whether initiatives are genuine or simply for show.—
Anjali Chaudhry,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This nursery is soothing and peaceful, yet offers plenty of room to create, imagine, and explore through play.—
Nina Derwin,
Architectural Digest,
18 July 2025
-
Lavender’s movement in the breeze and soothing scent add more sensory layers to the space.—
Lauren Dunec Hoang,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
Now Germany, previously conciliatory, is ready to back France’s more hawkish position and hit back with retaliatory tariffs on the US if no deal is agreed.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
21 July 2025
-
Normally a conciliatory individual, Jesse’s diplomacy was tested by an opponent’s racist remark.—
Richard J. Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Is there not a single executive somewhere at Netflix to greenlight a fresh retelling of the core Hanukkah story of pride, miracles, and determined guerilla warfare against a conquering despot?—
Gord Magill,
Newsweek,
20 Dec. 2024
-
Then English speakers began conquering Celtic, Native American, African, Australian and other peoples, pressuring or forcing them to give up their languages.—
Ross Perlin,
The Dial,
14 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Outside cash is dominating the special election for a new county supervisor in the South Bay.—
Andrew Keatts,
Axios,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Vancouver, meanwhile, fell short against the New York Rangers, despite thoroughly dominating play and out-chancing the struggling Rangers by a brutally lopsided margin.—
Thomas Drance,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The garden that lined the walkway between the two offered a peaceful sitting area for the first family.—
Kyler Alvord,
People.com,
1 Aug. 2025
-
This was an awesome example of a peaceful gathering, celebrating our free speech without interfering with automobile or pedestrian traffic.—
Naperville Sun,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This will be both disarming and believable, allowing your daughter to propose times that are both far off and inconvenient.—
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
15 Dec. 2022
-
What follows instead is a pivotal listen that conveys trauma in an assured yet disarming way.—
Leah Greenblatt,
EW.com,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
-
Professor Skye, who provides rambling, philosophy-laden meditations on albums that might at first seem out of the wheelhouse of an aging French lecturer, if that benevolent teacher vibe is your thing.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
31 July 2025
-
And its acknowledged leader, the United States, was a remarkably benevolent hegemon.—
STACIE E. GODDARD,
Foreign Affairs,
28 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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