pacify

From Middle French pacifier, from Latin pāx (“peace”) + faciō (“I do, make”). Cognate with pay and peacify.

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpæsɪfaɪ/, /ˈpæsəfaɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Homophone: passify

pacify (third-person singular simple present pacifies, present participle pacifying, simple past and past participle pacified)

1. (transitive) To bring peace to (a place or situation), by ending (or suppressing) war, fighting, violence, anger or agitation.

   Near-synonyms: peacify, repacify, allay, locarnize

   Their orders were to pacify the province by destroying resistance.

2. (transitive) To appease (someone).

   Synonyms: placate; see others there

   • 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:

     Watt decided in the end that an examination of Erskine's room was essential, if his mind was to be pacified, in this connexion.

   • 2000, “The Hollow”, performed by A Perfect Circle:

     Screaming feed me here
     Fill me up again
     Temporarily pacifying