allay

Synonym Chooser

How is the word allay different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of allay are alleviate, assuage, lighten, mitigate, and relieve. While all these words mean "to make something less grievous," allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

When is it sensible to use alleviate instead of allay?

The synonyms alleviate and allay are sometimes interchangeable, but alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

Where would assuage be a reasonable alternative to allay?

Although the words assuage and allay have much in common, assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

When is lighten a more appropriate choice than allay?

In some situations, the words lighten and allay are roughly equivalent. However, lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

When could mitigate be used to replace allay?

While in some cases nearly identical to allay, mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

When would relieve be a good substitute for allay?

The words relieve and allay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of allay Some of the biggest fears, primarily around the delay in signing a television rights deal, have been largely allayed. Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 8 May 2025 Tillis met with Martin on Monday, but that didn’t allay his concerns over Martin’s advocacy for people convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 6 May 2025 While these goals can be achieved in concert, a new national survey shows how some methods of allaying shopper safety concerns are much more effective than others. Bailey Quintrell, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025 Coca alone makes possible direct communication with the divine, with some saying today that the first to taste the leaves was Santísima María, mother of Christ, who, according to legend, lost her holy child and chewed on the leaves to allay her grief. Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for allay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allay
Verb
  • Pair your medication with lifestyle changes – like nutrition and exercise – to alleviate any adverse symptoms.
    Sam Woodward, USA Today, 25 July 2025
  • Watson suggested adding 500 beds to the North Central Unit in Castle Rock, along with a new 1,000-bed prison, which, combined, would help alleviate the state's overcrowding problem.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • Troy Morrow − whose 76-year-old mother suffered facial fractures and a concussion after being knocked to the pavement by Raleigh's son during the incident − was visibly relieved after the jury in Hamilton County Municipal Court announced its decision.
    Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 11 July 2025
  • Designed for a couch-like feel, this bed helps relieve pressure on your dog’s joints.
    Christopher Murray may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Mark was disappointed, but the poster defended himself, saying he’s helped before and didn’t want to be taken for granted.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 27 July 2025
  • John Day editor-in-chief Richard Walsh and the celebrated writer Pearl S. Buck already had an author in mind for the book: twelve years earlier, Walsh and Buck had helped Chinese writer Lin Yutang to move to the United States, after Shanghai got too risky for the anticommunist liberal.
    H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 26 July 2025
Verb
  • One 2013 study found that the sound of waves relaxed people more than soothing music, so perhaps that is what’s having an effect.
    Daisy Jones, Vogue, 15 July 2025
  • Trump had sought to deliver peace by soothing U.S. relations with Russia and distancing Washington from Ukraine, but now sees himself as misled by Putin.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Or when planning budgets for IT and compliance initiatives, CFOs can leverage identity data to support cost-benefit analyses and prioritize investments that mitigate the most critical risks.
    Leslie Milne, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • In trying to appease both sides, the government of Italy imposed a five-euro (almost $6) tax last year to tourists traveling into the city in an attempt to mitigate tourism at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    Emily Steinberger, Fortune, 20 July 2025
Verb
  • Conscious sedation safely eases pain and anxiety during minor medical procedures.
    Pamela Assid, Verywell Health, 21 July 2025
  • Such a levy — already proven to work during the war — would ease the burden on consumers and reallocate the tax burden to those most able to pay.
    Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Allay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allay. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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