MOLLIFY Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'mollify' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mollify are appease , conciliate , pacify , placate , and propitiate . While all these words mean "to ease the anger or disturbance of," mollify implies soothing hurt feelings or rising anger. // a speech that mollified the demonstrators

Q: When is 'appease' a more appropriate choice than 'mollify'?

The words appease and mollify are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appease implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions. // appease their territorial ambitions

Q: When might 'conciliate' be a better fit than 'mollify'?

The meanings of conciliate and mollify largely overlap; however, conciliate suggests ending an estrangement by persuasion, concession, or settling of differences. // conciliating the belligerent nations

Q: When is it sensible to use 'pacify' instead of 'mollify'?

While in some cases nearly identical to mollify , pacify suggests a soothing or calming. // pacified by a sincere apology

Q: When could 'placate' be used to replace 'mollify'?

In some situations, the words placate and mollify are roughly equivalent. However, placate suggests changing resentment or bitterness to goodwill. // a move to placate local opposition

Q: Where would 'propitiate' be a reasonable alternative to 'mollify'?

The synonyms propitiate and mollify are sometimes interchangeable, but propitiate implies averting anger or malevolence especially of a superior being. // propitiated his parents by dressing up

mollify

verb

ˈmä-lə-ˌfī

Definition of mollify

as in to appease

to lessen the anger or agitation of an apology would probably mollify your friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to alleviate

to make more bearable or less severe a friendly gesture that did a lot to mollify their suspicions about the new neighbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb mollify differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mollify are appease, conciliate, pacify, placate, and propitiate. While all these words mean "to ease the anger or disturbance of," mollify implies soothing hurt feelings or rising anger.

a speech that mollified the demonstrators

When is appease a more appropriate choice than mollify?

The words appease and mollify are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appease implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions.

appease their territorial ambitions

When might conciliate be a better fit than mollify?

The meanings of conciliate and mollify largely overlap; however, conciliate suggests ending an estrangement by persuasion, concession, or settling of differences.

conciliating the belligerent nations

When is it sensible to use pacify instead of mollify?

While in some cases nearly identical to mollify, pacify suggests a soothing or calming.

pacified by a sincere apology

When could placate be used to replace mollify?

In some situations, the words placate and mollify are roughly equivalent. However, placate suggests changing resentment or bitterness to goodwill.

a move to placate local opposition

Where would propitiate be a reasonable alternative to mollify?

The synonyms propitiate and mollify are sometimes interchangeable, but propitiate implies averting anger or malevolence especially of a superior being.

propitiated his parents by dressing up

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 mollify Spending too much time on modifying or mollifying faculty — and not enough on student success, including graduation rates — is a cardinal sin for administrators. — Nick Ladany, Forbes.com, 9 June 2026 Or was this a political visit meant to mollify them? — Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 26 May 2026 When presented with a more representative sample of moderate voters, those hard views tend to mollify, the researchers found, as many saw eye-to-eye on several economic and social issues. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 13 May 2026 But not everyone was mollified by the announcement. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mollify

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mollify

Verb

While this might sound appeasing to some, the Big Ten is not onboard with this idea, sources told OutKick-FOX News and others.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Instead, sources familiar with the situation pointed to Trump’s history of dropping past animosity with Republicans who appease him as one reason Pirro still has a shot of lasting beyond this week’s tenuous moment.

— Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of appease

Verb

Against the odds, Afghan women have built a tenacious resistance movement, inside and outside the country, that is working to alleviate conditions and provide opportunities, however limited, for women and girls.

— Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
Morgan Stanley’s Joseph Moore said the arrangement alleviates concerns about circular financing because third-party investors would provide most of the capital, while Nvidia would participate only to a limited extent.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of alleviate

Verb

Campione supports re-prioritizing and accelerating infrastructure projects and relieving congestion on county roads, especially arterial and collector road projects, by pushing the state to replace outdated funding formulas.

— James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
The outbursts helped relieve some pressure, but Nakashima tightened up as the prospect of making his first Masters 1000 final neared.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of relieve

Verb

Adael Amador and Brett Sullivan each hit a three-run home run Sunday to help the Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 13-7.

— CBS News, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Those fights stretch back to the nation’s founding, when property and social standing helped determine who could become an officer in the Continental Army and Indigenous troops were afforded limited roles.

— Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of help

Verb

Licorice root extract brings soothing and brightening benefits, and a nourishing blend of sunflower, sweet almond, moringa, and rice germ oils, plus shea butter, softens dry skin and seals in moisture.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 15 Aug. 2026
Don’t forget to soothe your skin with pre-shave gel and aftershave balm.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of soothe

Verb

This presents a vital opportunity for brands to secure supply, stabilize costs, and mitigate geopolitical risks through circular supply chains.

— Rob Kaplan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Florida’s depth is concerning, though this starting group could be productive enough to mitigate damage as others develop.

— Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of mitigate

Verb

The deployment of more than 1,500 soldiers to protect Michoacán’s avocado-growing region and recent arrests of people allegedly involved in extortion have eased concerns, but only partially.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
The bad blood between West Ham and Sheffield United over the Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano saga has eased over the years, but the rivalry will reconvene in Yorkshire on December 4.

— Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of ease

Browse Nearby Words

mollifies

mollify

mollifying

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“Mollify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mollify. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of mollify

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