soothe
/suːð
/- Sir Irwin held him down gently, soothing him with soft words and petting him.
- Somehow, the music soothed her, and calmed her down.
- I need something warm to calm my nerves, soothe my agitation.
Synonyms
- With summer here, SPA is especially needed after being out in the sun, to soothe the body and skin.
- All race events will start and finish at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, where various artists will soothe tired bodies with cool rhythms.
- Water, especially in a cleansing bath before a ritual, always soothes my body and soul.
Synonyms
- There might have been withheld from the Saviour those strong religious consolations, those clear views of the justice and goodness of God, which would have blunted his pains and soothed his agonies.
- It's involved in glucosamine synthesis for speedier joint repair, and it soothes aches, pains and inflammation.
- Taking to the waters to soothe aches and pains has been a hallmark of the resort for more than a century.
Synonyms
Origin
Old English sōthian 'verify, show to be true', from sōth 'true' (see sooth). In the 16th century the verb passed through the senses 'corroborate (a statement'), 'humour (a person) by expressing assent' and 'flatter by one's assent', whence 'mollify, appease' (late 17th century).
In Anglo-Saxon times to soothe was to show or prove that something is true. The first part of soothsayer (Middle English), ‘someone who can foresee the future’, is based on the same word and originally described someone who speaks the truth, while the archaic forsooth is simply another way of saying ‘in truth’. During the 16th century the meaning of soothe moved from ‘to corroborate a statement, back someone up in what they are saying’, to ‘humour or flatter someone by agreeing with them’. This finally led to the meaning ‘to calm, comfort, or placate’ which we are familiar with today.