soothe

soothe is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 2 senses. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.

Definitions

  1. 1.To assent to; to comply with; to gratify; to humor by compliance; to please with blandishments or soft words; to flatter. Good, my lord, soothe him, let him take the fellow. Shak. I've tried the force of every reason on him, Soothed and caressed, been angry, soothed again. Addison.
  2. 2.To assuage; to mollify; to calm; to comfort; as, to soothe a crying child; to soothe one's sorrows. Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. Congreve. Though the sound of Fame May for a moment soothe, it can not slake The fever of vain longing. Byron.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Synonyms (Webster's 1913)

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Related questions

Sources