appease

/əˈpiz/

/əˈpiz/

Other forms: appeased; appeasing; appeases

Appease means to make or preserve peace with a nation, group, or person by giving in to their demands, or to relieve a problem, as in "the cold drink appeased his thirst."

Appease often implies abandoning your moral principles to satisfy the demands of someone who is greedy for power: think of British Prime Minister Chamberlain's attempt to appease the Nazis at Munich. The verb appease comes from the Old French apaisier, "to pacify, make peace, or be reconciled," from the phrase "a paisier," which combines a-, or "to," and pais, "peace," from the Latin pax.

Definitions of appease

1. verb

   make peace with
   synonyms: propitiate

   type of:

   conciliate, make up, patch up, reconcile, settle

   come to terms
2. verb

   cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
   synonyms: assuage, conciliate, gentle, gruntle, lenify, mollify, pacify, placate

   type of:

   calm, calm down, lull, quiet, quieten, still, tranquilize, tranquillise, tranquillize

   make calm or still
3. verb

   overcome or allay
   synonyms: quell, stay

   type of:

   fill, fulfil, fulfill, meet, satisfy

   fill or meet a want or need