ALLAY Definition & Meaning

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allay

[ uh-ley ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

allayed, allaying.

to put (fear, doubt, suspicion, anger, etc.) to rest; calm; quiet.
Synonyms: ,
Antonyms:
to lessen or relieve; mitigate; alleviate:
to allay pain.
Synonyms: , , ,

allay

/ əˈ��ɪ /

verb

to relieve (pain, grief, etc) or be relieved
tr to reduce (fear, anger, etc)

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

��·��İ� noun
�ܲ�a��·�� adjective

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of allay¹

before 1000; Middle English aleyen, Old English ��𳦲�� to put down, allay ( ��- a- ³ + lecgan to lay ¹ ); spelling -ll- shows influence of the now obsolete allege (< Anglo-French, Old French aleg ( i ) er; allege ) to alleviate, allay

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of allay¹

Old English ��𳦲�� to put down, from lecgan to lay ¹

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Synonym Study

Allay, moderate, soothe mean to reduce excitement or emotion. To allay is to lay to rest or lull to a sense of security, possibly by making the emotion seem unjustified: to allay suspicion, anxiety, fears. To moderate is to tone down any excess and thus to restore calm: to moderate the expression of one's grief. To soothe is to exert a pacifying or tranquilizing influence: to soothe a terrified child.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

For every European country, President Donald Trump's tariffs will be a severe blow, and national governments have been trying to allay the fears of industry and commerce.

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"We are contacting all patients personally to provide reassurance and to allay any concerns they may have. We are deeply sorry for the anxiety this has caused."

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The confirmation that it was only empty containers on board will allay some concerns about environmental damage and make the clean-up operation easier.

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Washington's decision on Wednesday to pause intelligence sharing with Ukraine did nothing to allay those worries.

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Many young Chinese have recently turned to psychics and astrology as a way of trying to allay their fears of the future.

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