Allay
[ə'leɪ] or [ə'le]
Definition
(v. t.) To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm; as, to allay popular excitement; to allay the tumult of the passions.
(v. t.) To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate; as, to allay the severity of affliction or the bitterness of adversity.
(v. t.) To diminish in strength; to abate; to subside.
(n.) Alleviation; abatement; check.
(n.) Alloy.
(v. t.) To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate.
Inputed by Deborah
Synonyms and Synonymous
v. a. [1]. Repress, restrain, check, subdue, lay, silence, appease, pacify, calm, quiet, still, lull, hush, tranquillize, smooth.[2]. Assuage, alleviate, soothe, soften, mitigate, solace, moderate, mollify, temper, attemper, lessen, abate, qualify, relieve, ease, dull, blunt, palliate.
Typed by Chloe
Synonyms and Antonyms
SYN:soothe, alleviate, repress, mitigate, quiet, moderate, appease, compose,soften, pacify, mollify, assuage, tranquilize, palliate, culm
ANT:Excite, rouse, aggravate, stir, kindle, fan, impassion, provoke, incite
Typed by Harley
Definition
v.t. to lighten relieve: to make quiet or calm.—n. Allay′ment (obs.) state of being allayed: state of rest: that which allays.
Checker: Rosalind
Examples
- Breakfast, I hope, he answered, smiling bravely in an attempt to allay her fears. Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
- Upon this Mrs. Clements at once confided her errand to him, and entreated that he would help to allay Anne's anxiety by trusting his message to her. Wilkie Collins. The Woman in White.
- The ladies knew better how to allay it. Jane Austen. Emma.
- They could assemble resources, they could stir up, they could allay. H. G. Wells. The Outline of History_Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind.
- It fell to my lot, to come as the influential power, to allay the fierce tossing of these tumultuous waves. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- Adrian was obliged to exert his utmost prudence, first to allay the discord, and then to provide for the multitude of the invaders. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- Mr. Blake's nervous suffering is greatly allayed. Wilkie Collins. The Moonstone.
- The tumult of Elizabeth's mind was allayed by this conversation. Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice.
- Hunger may be partially allayed by sleep or by the use of narcotics, tobacco and alcohol, all of which tend to diminish the disintegration of tissues. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- I exclaimed: and indeed there was something in the hasty and unexplanatory reply which, instead of allaying, piqued my curiosity more than ever. Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre.
- I allays have thought that Mas'r would be good to everybody. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle Tom's Cabin.
- I've been allays used to horses, said Tom. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle Tom's Cabin.
- Look at his head; them high forrads allays shows calculatin niggers, that'll do any kind o' thing. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle Tom's Cabin.
- Mas'r allays been good to me. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Checker: Tom