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mollify Definition

mol·lify (mäl′ə fī′)

transitive verb -·fied′, -·fy′·ing

  1. to soothe the temper of; pacify; appease
  2. to make less intense, severe, or violent

Etymology: ME molifien, MFr mollifier < LL mollificare, to soften < L mollis, soft (< IE *mḷdu-, soft < base *mel-, to crush > mill) + facere, to make, do

mollify Related Forms
mol′·li·fi·ca′·tion noun mol′·li·fi′er noun
mollify Synonyms

mollify

v.

  1. To quiet one who is angry

    soothe, appease, calm; see pacify 1, quiet 1.

  2. To lessen

    ameliorate, alleviate, diminish; see decrease 2. See syn. study at pacify.

mollify Usage Examples

Object

  • opinion: Missing out on than anywhere else most of the mollifying arab opinion.
  • critic: With Europe's support softening in time, Bush sought to mollify critics.

Modifying Another Word

  • somewhat: This clash of cultures may have been mollified somewhat by the fact that the French held to much more tolerant racial attitudes.
  • slightly: They all wanted it back, and were only slightly mollified by my assurances that it would return for Easter!
  • easily: But part of the crowd was not so easily mollified.

Browse dictionary entries near mollify

  1. ‹ mollescent
  2. ‹ mollah
  3. ‹ moll
  4. ‹ Molise
  5. ‹ moline
  6. ‹ Molière
  7. ‹ molest
  8. ‹ moleskin
  9. ‹ molehill
  10. ‹ molecule
  1. mollusc ›
  2. molluscoid ›
  3. mollusk ›
  4. Mollweide projection ›
  5. molly ›
  6. Molly Maguires ›
  7. mollycoddle ›
  8. Molnár ›
  9. Moloch ›
  10. Molokai ›