mollify

[ mol-uh-fahy ]
See synonyms for: mollifymollifiedmollifyingmollification on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),mol·li·fied, mol·li·fy·ing.
  1. to soften in feeling or temper, as a person; pacify; appease.

  2. to mitigate or reduce; soften: to mollify one's demands.

Origin of mollify

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French mollifier, from Late Latin mollificāre, equivalent to Latin molli(s) “soft” + -ficāre -fy

Other words from mollify

  • mol·li·fi·ca·tion [mol-uh-fi-key-shuhn], /ˌmɒl ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən/, noun
  • mol·li·fi·er, noun
  • mol·li·fy·ing·ly, adverb
  • mol·li·fi·a·ble, adjective
  • re·mol·li·fy, verb (used with object), re·mol·li·fied, re·mol·li·fy·ing.
  • un·mol·li·fi·a·ble, adjective
  • un·mol·li·fy·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use mollify in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mollify

mollify

/ (ˈmɒlɪˌfaɪ) /


verb-fies, -fying or -fied (tr)
  1. to pacify; soothe

  2. to lessen the harshness or severity of

Origin of mollify

1
C15: from Old French mollifier, via Late Latin, from Latin mollis soft + facere to make

Derived forms of mollify

  • mollifiable, adjective
  • mollification, noun
  • mollifier, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012