allay
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allay
soften, assuage: lay to rest or lull into a sense of security: She tried to allay her child’s fears.
Not to be confused with:
alley – a passage, a narrow back street: Our garage is off the back alley.
alloy – a lower-quality metal mixed with a more valuable one; to debase, impair, or adulterate; fusion, blend, composite: Coins are often alloys.
ally – unify, join; a partner, friend, or confederate: Canada was our ally in World War II.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
al·lay
(ə-lā′)tr.v. al·layed, al·lay·ing, al·lays
1. To calm or pacify (an emotion); set to rest: allayed the fears of the worried citizens.
2. To reduce the intensity of; lessen or relieve: allay the threat of social unrest; allay skin irritation. See Synonyms at relieve.
[Middle English aleien, from Old English ālecgan, to lay aside, lay down : ā-, intensive pref. + lecgan, to lay; see lay1.]
al·lay′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
allay
(əˈleɪ)vb
1. to relieve (pain, grief, etc) or be relieved
2. (tr) to reduce (fear, anger, etc)
[Old English ālecgan to put down, from lecgan to lay1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
al•lay
(əˈleɪ)v.t.
1. to put (fear, doubt, etc.) to rest; calm.
2. to lessen: to allay pain.
[before 1000; Middle English aleyen, Old English ālecgan to put down, allay (ā- a-3 + lecgan to lay1)]
al•lay′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
allay
Past participle: allayed
Gerund: allaying
| Imperative |
|---|
| allay |
| allay |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  allay - lessen the intensity of or calm; "The news eased my conscience"; "still the fears"abreact - discharge bad feelings or tension through verbalization |
| 2. |  allay - satisfy (thirst); "The cold water quenched his thirst" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
allay
verb reduce, quiet, relax, ease, calm, smooth, relieve, check, moderate, dull, diminish, compose, soften, blunt, soothe, subdue, lessen, alleviate, appease, quell, mitigate, assuage, pacify, mollify He did what he could to allay his wife's fears.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
allay
verb1. To make less severe or more bearable:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُهَدِّئ ، يُبَدِّد (المَخاوِف)
utišitzmírnit
beroligedæmpe
sefa, draga úr
nuraminti
mazinātvājināt
yatıştırmak
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
allay
[əˈleɪ] vt [+ fears, concerns] → apaiser, calmer; [+ suspicions] → dissiper; [+ anxiety] → calmerall clear n (after attack, air raid) → fin f d'alerte
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
allay
vt → verringern; doubt, fears, suspicion → (weitgehend) zerstreuen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
allay
(əˈlei) verb to make less. He allayed her fears.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.