Appease

uh-PEEZ

/əˈpiːz/

Verb

Meaning

  • Appease means to calm, satisfy, or pacify someone by giving in to their demands, reducing anger, or easing tension. It often refers to actions taken to stop complaints, hostility, or conflict, sometimes by making concessions.

Examples

  • The manager tried to appease the angry customer by offering a full refund.
  • The government attempted to appease the protesters with policy changes.
  • She spoke softly to appease the child who was crying loudly.
  • Offering an apology helped appease his offended colleague.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms Antonyms
Pacify Soothe Calm Placate Mollify Conciliate Assuage Provoke Agitate Irritate Enrage Incite Upset

Word Forms

  • Appease (verb – base form)
  • Appeased (verb – past tense)
  • Appeasing (verb – present participle)
  • Appeasement (noun)
  • Appeaser (noun – rare)

Origin / Etymology

The word appease comes from the Old French apaisier, meaning “to bring to peace,” which is derived from pais (peace). It ultimately traces back to the Latin word pax, meaning “peace.”

Grammar Information

  • Transitive verb (requires an object)
  • Commonly followed by nouns referring to people, groups, or emotions
  • Often used with indirect objects and prepositional phrases
  • Example pattern:
    • appease + person
    • appease + anger/fear/demands

Translations

  • Hindi: शांत करना, तुष्ट करना
  • Spanish: apaciguar
  • French: apaiser
  • German: besänftigen
  • Arabic: يُهدِّئ
  • Chinese (Simplified): 安抚

Idioms & Phrases

  • Appease someone’s anger – to calm someone who is upset
  • Policy of appeasement – a political strategy of making concessions to avoid conflict
  • Appease the crowd – to satisfy public opinion temporarily