appease means to make quiet; to calm; to reduce (something) to a state of peace; to dispel (anger, hatred, etc.). It carries an Arena rating of 1396, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, appease ranks #660 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #1,101 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #2,313 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,693 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words.
appease is pronounced /əˈpiːz/.
Why “appease” is a great word
To bring to a state of peace or calm, especially by making concessions to dispel anger or hostility. From Middle English apesen, from Old French apeser ('to pacify, bring to peace'), from a- (a causative prefix) and pais ('peace'), from Latin pax, pacis ('peace'), first recorded in English c. 1300. Unlike “antagonize,” which actively provokes hostility, or “propitiate,” which seeks divine favor through ritual offerings, appease is the secular art of strategic surrender—the offering of something tangible to quiet something volatile. It is the parent buying silence with a sweet, the diplomat ceding territory to delay war, or the lover folding a crumpled letter in a fragile hush. Each is a transaction where peace is purchased at a price, and the buyer is never quite certain the debt is settled.
Etymology
From Middle English apesen, from Old French apeser (“to pacify, bring to peace”).
verb
- To make quiet; to calm; to reduce (something) to a state of peace; to dispel (anger, hatred, etc.).e.g.“to appease the tumult of the ocean”
- To make conciliatory offerings or concessions to (someone) in an attempt to dispel their anger, aggression, etc.; to adapt to the demands of; to come to terms with.e.g.“They appeased the angry gods with burnt offerings.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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