soothe
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /suːð/
rhymes: -uːð
Forms: form: soothes
form: soothing
form: soothed
form: soothed
form: sooth
Etymology: From Middle English sothen (“to verify, prove the validity of”), from Old English sōþian (“to verify, prove, confirm, bear witness to”), from Proto-West Germanic *sanþōn, from Proto-Germanic *sanþōną (“to prove, certify, acknowledge, testify”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be”). Cognate with Danish sande (“to verify”), Swedish sanna (“to verify”), Icelandic sanna (“to verify”). See also sooth. Displaced native Old English frēfran, ġefrēfran (“to comfort, console, soothe”), and partially displaced native Old English stillan, ġestillan (“to calm, become calm, pacify, quieten”) (whence modern still).
The semantic evolution of "to verify, prove the validity of" → "to comfort" (first attested in the late 17th century) comes from the notion of assuaging someone by supporting the truth of what they say.
Senses: examples: text: Muſick has Charms to ſooth a ſavage Breaſt,
 To ſoften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
ref: 1697, [William] Congreve, The Mourning Bride, a Tragedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act I, page 1:
text: Yet Wayne Rooney scored at a good time, three minutes after the restart, to soothe any gathering nerves and the night can ultimately be chalked off as one of the finest occasions of Hodgson's 17 months in the job.
ref: 2013 October 11, Daniel Taylor, The Guardian:
synonyms: word: becalm
word: placate
word: allay
word: ameliorate
word: appease
word: assuage
word: becalm
word: bestill
word: bring down
word: calm
word: calm down
word: cool down
word: cool off
word: delay
word: hose down
word: lull
word: mollify
word: pacify
word: peacen
word: placate
word: put at ease
word: quell
word: relax
word: soothe
word: still
word: temper
glosses: To restore to ease, comfort, or tranquility; relieve; calm; quiet; refresh.
glosses: To allay; assuage; mitigate; soften.
glosses: To smooth over; render less obnoxious.
glosses: To calm or placate someone or some situation.
examples: text: I am a cider drinker, I drinks it all of the day
I am a cider drinker, it soothes all me troubles away
ref: 1976, The Wurzels, I Am A Cider Drinker:
synonyms: word: comfort
word: solace
word: besoothe
word: cheer
word: comfort
word: console
word: solace
word: soothe
glosses: To ease or relieve pain or suffering.
glosses: To temporise by assent, concession, flattery, or cajolery.
glosses: To bring comfort or relief.
glosses: To keep in good humour; wheedle; cajole; flatter.
glosses: To prove true; verify; confirm as true.
glosses: To confirm the statements of; maintain the truthfulness of (a person); bear out.
examples: text: To be ſhort, a wretched and curſed generation they be; hypocrites, pretending friendſhip, but they can not skill of plaine dealing and franke ſpeech. Rich men they claw, ſooth up and flatter: the poore they contemne and despiſe.
ref: 1603, Plutarch, “Of the Nouriture and Education of Children”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 15:
synonyms: word: comply
word: give way
word: accede
word: agree
word: allow
word: cave in
word: come around
word: come round
word: comply
word: concede
word: give way
word: grant
word: soothe
word: yield
glosses: To assent to; yield to; humour by agreement or concession.
Derived terms: soothing
soothsayer