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expiate

/ˌɛkspiˈeɪt/
IPA guide

Other forms: expiated; expiating; expiates

In the fairy tale, the baker must expiate his father’s sins by bringing the witch three ingredients for a magic potion: a cow, a cape and a slipper. Expiate means to make amends or atone for a wrong you or someone else has committed.

After the incident on the hill, a mortified Jill expiated her guilt by buying Jack a brand new crown. The shiny new crown served as compensation, or expiation, for the broken one. That it cost her so dearly made the expiatory gesture especially meaningful to poor Jack.

Definitions of expiate
  1. verb
    make amends for
    expiate one's sins”
    synonyms: aby, abye, atone
    see moresee less
    type of:
    compensate, correct, redress, right
    make reparations or amends for
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